The Spaces Between Us
by ayame213
Summary: Byakuya was just looking to unwind after a stressful day. Little did he know his life was about to change forever. This is the ultimate Kuchiki Byakuya love saga... XD [Byakuya x Hisana]
1. On the Stroke of Twelve

**PROLOGUE**

ON THE STROKE OF TWELVE

By Ayame213

Byakuya often took secret midnight walks. Removing all outward trace of nobility, dressed down as an ordinary death god, he would quietly slip out of the gates of the Kuchiki mansion unseen and unheard.

He especially liked to stroll on the banks of the Rukongai Lake on the outskirts of the city. After a hard day's work, there was just something about watching the reflection of the water shimmer in the moonlight that seemed to have a very soothing effect on his jangled nerves.

That night, Byakuya casually laid down on the grass. Clasping his hands together behind this head, he looked up at the stars and slowly felt the day's tension melt away from his body. However just as he was starting to really loosen up, he suddenly felt someone approaching.

"_Damn. Who could that be at this time of the night?"_ he thought.

The intruder came from behind and…walked right passed him, apparently completely oblivious to his presence in the darkness of the night. Byakuya gradually began to distinguish the shadowy figure of a woman. Her profile became clearer as she stepped into the moonlight some distance away from his hidden spot in the grass. The heavy bag she was carrying made a loud clatter as she set it down to the floor.

Byakuya remained perfectly still.

Intrigued, he silently watched her as she methodically began to gather wood, fetch water from the lake and pour it into a pot on the fire she had just made. After such an elaborate set up, she appeared to make tea of all things. Kneeling down into a seiza position, she then calmly sipped the brew facing the moonlit waters. Her every gesture seemed to be marked by such grace and dignity that only her ragged clothes and meager possessions betrayed her true status. Later into the night, she laid down next to the fire. A few feet away, for some reason Byakuya also closed his eyes and slept.

He awoke at the break of dawn, just in time to return to the mansion without arousing suspicion on his absence. He was about to walk away when curiosity got the best of him and he quietly walked up to where the mysterious stranger still lay. She was young – probably not much older than eighteen. She slept like a baby, curled up in a fetal position with her fists shut tight. A single strand of her thick, jet-black hair fell carelessly onto her face.

A small involuntary smile tugged at Byakuya's lips.

He saw her again the following night. And almost every night after that. They had never actually spoken to each other and their eyes had never met but it soon became a ritual that Byakuya began to increasingly look forward to. He would never admit it, even to himself, but those silent nights with his mysterious companion were somehow even more soothing than watching the glow of the moonlight on the waters of the lake.

* * *

**A/N:** Please consider the ages mentioned in this story in terms of the equivalent "Soul Society years"…whatever that is…XD Thank You!


	2. Sacrificial Lamb

SACRIFICIAL LAMB

By Ayame213

Hisana had made a vow to herself. She vowed that she would meticulously comb every single district in Rukongai in a relentless search for her baby sister. It had almost been a year now since she had abandoned her on a lonely street corner still a crying infant. Soul Society was a hostile heaven and back then she had come to her wits end on how to take care of such a small child. However, things were different now. Hisana felt a little stronger now. She also continued to guard the jealous hope that her sister was alive and that they would one day be together again.

That afternoon, Hisana had reached the district of Kusajishi. She had spent the entire day searching and gathering any information she could find. Unfortunately, the sun was now setting and she needed to find a safe place to spend the night. She was so deep in her thoughts that she did not notice the commotion going on behind her.

Suddenly, Hisana felt someone grab her violently by the hair and shout in her face,

"I know you! You're the one that stole my jug of water the other day! I finally caught you, did you think you would get away with it so easily?!"

It was a woman, but tall and muscular with a menacing expression on her face.

"Oww! Let go of me!" Hisana cried trying to break free. "You're hurting me, I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't you play dumb with me you little bitch!" she pulled harder.

"Owww! Please…I don't have anything" Hisana pleaded.

"Heeeh…" she sneered. "In that case I'll make you regret ever crossing my path"

Before she knew what was happening, Hisana was being dragged away towards a dark alley as the woman maintained her iron grip and called out to one of her friends,

"Oi, come help me teach this brat a lesson"

The poor girl started to panic.

"Please…I…" but before she could finish her second desperate plea, Hisana's eyes widened in shock as she received a vicious blow to her stomach. Blood rushed to her lips and spilled onto her chin. She gasped and keeled over in pain.

However, the two women that now ganged up on her had by no means finished administering their cruel punishment. They flung her to the ground and began to kick her over and over again. Hisana could barely move, let alone try to run away. She could only lie helpless on the floor, praying that the nightmare would soon come to an end.

Completely unconcerned with the assault that was unfolding right before their eyes, the many passersby that became witnesses to her predicament carried on with business as usual amid the hustle and bustle of the late afternoon. This was Kusajishi after all – survival was their only law and the folk down here had no time for weaklings. No one came to her aid.

* * *

Byakuya was being dragged out by Kaien to check out this new bar that had opened up in Rukongai. The proud Captain of the 6th Division was definitely not the type to revel in such things but if he did not go at least once, Kaien would bug him about it to no end. So they left the Sereitei together in the late afternoon. Work had been slow anyways on that particular day.

As they arrived in Kusajishi and made their way to the sake house, Kaien suddenly took notice of the angry shouts that were coming from a nearby street. Forever willing to help any person in danger, he rushed over to investigate. Byakuya was going to leave the matter to Kaien but on second thought he decided to follow,

"_The sooner I can get out of here…"_

When he arrived on the scene, Kaien was already arresting two heavy-set women for public disturbance and assault. "Yo Byakuya, just in time", he declared. "I'm going to take these ladies to the local authorities where they can receive appropriate sanctions. Please check if that kid is still alive".

"Ah" Byakuya replied impassively as he glanced at the lifeless body on the floor.

"Don't worry, I know you're disappointed but we'll be sure to come back tomorrow night and have a pint, okay?" Kaien winked at his friend and was off.

"_Wonderful…this day just gets better and better"_

Byakuya sighed inwardly as he tried once more to think of a plausible excuse to decline the next day's invitation. He lowered himself to check the victim's pulse. She stirred as his fingers touched her skin. He quickly scanned her body for any fatal wounds and debated if the faster option would be to call the 4th Division or just drop her there himself.

All the while, Byakuya was plagued with a nagging sense of déjà vu…and then the realization suddenly hit him:

"_Impossible…could this be…the girl from the lake?"_

He brushed her hair away from her face.

"…_it's her…"_

He gathered the girl into his arms and was at the 4th Division relief squad unit in minutes thanks to his masterful Shinigami technique. He left her in their care and made his way out.

He ran into Unohanna Taichou in the hall. She greeted him with a slightly raised eyebrow, but Byakuya did not bother to offer any explanation as to crimson bloodstains on his white Captain's coat.


	3. Thank You

THANK YOU

By Ayame 213

Hisana was drifting in and out of consciousness. In a brief moment of lucidity, she felt someone's touch on her skin. Instinctively, she tried to move away but her body refused to cooperate. She felt herself being lifted from the ground. Her eyes fluttered slightly and through semi-closed lids she managed to glimpse the face of a man gazing down at her.

"…_such blue eyes…"_ she thought. And then it all went dark again.

The next time she opened her eyes, she was temporarily blinded by the glare of a harsh white light.

"_Have I died…again…?"_

As her sight gradually came into focus, she realized that she was actually just staring at the white ceiling of an unfamiliar room. She tried to lift her hand to shield her eyes,

"_Bandages…"_

The painful memories came rushing back all at once. Hisana sat up with a start but the suddenness of her movement caused her head to spin. Her mouth was dry. A knock was then heard at the door and a woman in uniform entered the room.

"Miss, you can't get up now! Please lay back down, you need your rest"

"Who are you…?" Hisana asked in a hoarse whisper.

"I am a nurse, nurse Fujioka. Pleased to meet you" She bowed. "You are in the headquarters of the 4th Division Relief Squad. You were brought in a few days ago with serious injuries and you are still very weak". The nurse patiently explained with a smile as she began to tuck Hisana back under the sheets.

"No, I…" Hisana started to protest but the room started to spin again.

"Don't worry. We'll take good care of you, alright? I'll go and bring you some water to put at your bedside". The nurse gently but firmly laid Hisana's head onto the pillow. Hisana no longer had the strength to resist, especially in the face of the nurse's kind words and gentle smile. She nodded meekly and rapidly drifted back into a heavy sleep.

Three days later, Hisana was transferred out of intensive care and placed into another private recovery room. The same nurse that was there when she first opened her eyes had now come to change her bandages.

"_I must tell her soon…" _Hisana thought. _"I must tell her that I probably do not have the means to cover the cost of my stay here. Hopefully they will allow me to work off my debt somehow. But first, there is something I must know…"_

"Uhm, Fujioka-san...could you please tell me…I mean, do you know the name of the person who brought me here? I only have a vague recollection of his face but I…I would like to thank him for what he did".

Nurse Fujioka suddenly got a mischievous twinkle in her eye and lowered her voice in a conspiratorial manner. "Well, actually…" she began, but a knock at the door interrupted her mysterious revelation.

"Fujioka-san, thank you for your hard work. Please excuse us for a moment, I would like to have a word with the patient."

"Hai, Unohanna Taichou". The nurse bowed her head. "I'll see you later Hisana-chan." She winked and left the room.

Unohanna smiled "I have someone who would like to see you".

"To see…me?" Hisana was more than just a little surprised

"Kuchiki Taichou?" Unohanna called out and a Shinigami stepped into the room.

"I'll come by again later". Unohanna said as she left and quietly closed the door behind her.

For a moment, Hisana and Byakuya just stared at each other in awkward silence.

* * *

Hisana's heart was beating so fast that she felt like it was about to jump out of her chest,

"_It's him…I know it"_

"_Kenseikan…a noble?"_

"_What should I say?"_

"_How should I address him?"_

Her thoughts were racing a mile a minute but no words would come out of her mouth. Finally, it was Byakuya who spoke first.

- "How are you feeling?"

- "F-fine, thank you"

Another awkward silence.

- "Uhm…would you care to have a seat?" Hisana hesitantly gestured towards the chair beside her bed.

- "…ah"

- "You are…you are the person that brought me here, aren't you? Thank you for saving me. Thank you for your kindness". Hisana bowed her head to him in gratitude.

Byakuya's expression briefly registered mild surprise but quickly returned to its trademark impassiveness.

- "Yes. It was nothing"

- "No really, that time…you were the only one that would come to my aid. Not only that, but I am sure that the reason I have been cared for in this place and been able to stay here for so long is only because of you". She shyly looked up at him. "I know I have no way of repaying you for saving my life but please allow me to work to pay you back at least my hospital expenses…"

- "I said it was nothing"

- "…of course. I didn't mean to…I'm so sorry". Hisana's eyes filled with sadness and for once, Byakuya felt a slight twinge of remorse for responding in his usual abrupt manner. He discreetly cleared his throat,

- "If you so insist…there may be a staff position available at my estate to carry out a few house chores but you really do not have to–"

- "R-really? Thank you! Thank you so much! I'll do anything. I am a very good cook and I may look small but I can carry a lot of things, and there was this one time…"

Byakuya just watched her, bemused, as her eyes suddenly lit up and she went on to enthusiastically describe her extensive domestic expertise. He felt a tiny sweat drop form at the back of his head as the list continued to expand.

"_Who would get so excited at the prospect of doing housework?…what a strange girl"_

And, just like the first time he glimpsed her sleeping frame on the banks of the Rukongai Lake, Byakuya felt a small involuntary smile tug at the corners of his mouth.


	4. The Art of War

**A/N**: Hello, Ayame here! I hope you like the story so far. I think this pairing is sooo cute! I love writing about them because I can just imagine Bya-chan (who's usually so arrogant and confident) being a bit hesitant and awkward around Hisana as he starts to fall in love with her. I have five or six more chapter ideas lined up filled with romance, drama, humor and fluff so please keep reading and let me know what you think! XD

* * *

THE ART OF WAR

By Ayame213

Dawn was breaking on Soul Society and the lazy rays of the sun painted the sky in beautiful shades of crimson and gold. Most of the Kuchiki mansion still lay asleep. However, at the back of the main house, the sound of hurried footsteps across the pavement pierced through the stillness of the morning.

"Nao-chan! Nao-chan!" a young girl called out in a loud voice.

"Airi, please keep your voice down!" Nao pleaded. "Do you want to get us in trouble with the old bat?"

Both girls were part of one of the lesser noble houses and had grown up together working since their early childhood as domestic servants for the Kuchiki clan.

"Oops, sorry you're right" Airi lowered her voice. "But Nao-chan you won't believe….Kyaaa!" she squealed blushing and hugging her own body in excitement

"What is it? Did something good happen?"

"Oh Nao…I just saw a vision…just now I caught a glimpse of Byakuya-sama's half naked body!"

Nao dropped the basket of laundry she was carrying in total shock. Airi breathlessly went on, "I think he was coming out of the training room…his shirt was off…you should have seen him Nao, all hot and sweaty and beautiful…"

"KYAAAA!" both girls now held each other, shrieking in unison. In fact, it was a good fifteen minutes before they separated from their wild embrace.

"Ahh, Byakuya-sama!" Airi sighed blissfully. "I wonder if he's seeing anyone at the moment?"

Nao suddenly turned serious, "Funny you should ask. I've been meaning to talk to you…" she began in hushed tones. "I have a bad feeling about that new girl, Hisana-san…it's like she's been getting awfully close to him lately…"

"Pfft! Hisana-san! Impossible. She's just a nobody kid from Rukongai with absolutely no redeeming features. Byakuya-sama wouldn't touch her with a ten foot pole" Airi confidently tossed her hair behind her shoulder.

"Yes but you've been working at one of the other Kuchiki households this past month, right? I've known that Hisana girl for a bit longer than you have and I'm telling you, some strange things have been going on during your absence…"

"Wha-what do you mean?" Airi asked, suddenly alarmed

"…Well…just a few days after you left, I saw Hisana-san bringing Byakuya-sama some tea in the garden and…instead of just serving the tea and leaving, she stayed and chatted freely with him for almost an hour!"

Airi inhaled sharply, "No way!"

"And then two weeks ago, I saw Hisana-san carrying some things. She wasn't paying attention and she tripped and almost fell but Byakuya-sama caught her in his arms…"

"That bitch!" Airi fumed. "What girl in this household hasn't already thought of doing that? Once, I practically _threw_ myself at Byakuya-sama hoping that he would catch me and hold me close but that fool Rikichi got in my way and I fell on top of the idiot instead! That sneaky brat, what should we do Nao, we can't let Byakuya-sama fall into her evil clutches, I– "

Nao interrupted her "Wait – there's more…now Airi when you hear this you have to promise me that you'll be strong and that you won't lose your head, we have to think through this constructively…"

"What? What is it?" Airi now had a dangerous glint in her eyes

"…..." Nao took two steps back and swallowed hard, "Ok, three days ago…"

On second thought, she drew back two more steps as extra precaution. Taking a deep breath, she began again,

"…three days ago I think I saw Byakuya-sama…I think Byakuya-sama sort of s-smiled at her" Nao finished with a whisper.

For a moment Airi was perfectly quiet, trying hard to process this outlandish new piece of information. And when she finally did, all hell broke loose:

Almost hysterical, she grabbed Nao by the collar with both hands, "No! No no no! You-you're lying! You've got to be! You must have seen wrong, Byakuya-sama never smiles, NE-VER! Maybe someone stepped on his foot, maybe there was something in his eye, maybe he had to go to the bathroom– "

"AIRI! Get a hold of yourself dammit! I told you we have to be strong!" Nao cried, desperately trying to break free from her friend's vice-like grip.

All this commotion eventually alerted the rest of the staff "What is going on out here? Who is making all that noise early this morning?". The girls recognized the voice of their supervisor, Tachibana-san, approaching at a dangerous speed.

"Oh no! It's the old bat, see what you've done! I told you this would happen. If she catches us now we'll be washing dishes for the rest of the year!" Nao hissed.

"Run!" was Airi's prompt reply.

So they ran, their worries momentarily forgotten in the rush to escape from their beloved supervisor. Little did they know that other more prominent parties were also intently observing the growing interactions between the Lord of the House and the mysterious girl from Rukongai.

* * *

The matter was judged important enough for the elders of the Kuchiki clan to gather in secret. The meeting was called to order.

"Gentlemen. I need not remind you of the reason for your presence here today. It seems we have a situation on our hands and we need to resolve it promptly before it spirals out of control. Any suggestions?"

"I say we throw her out back to the gutter where she came from"

"I disagree. We cannot act too rashly, Byakuya-sama is still our current leader"

"Why bother to interfere? You all have mistresses after all, this is a waste of my time"

"That is not the point. What do we do if he becomes serious about this girl?"

Finally, one man stood up. It was Kuchiki Akira, the elder brother of Byakuya's late father. Those who knew this man well also knew that under his deceptively gentle exterior and grandfatherly smile laid a ruthless guardian of the Kuchiki name and noble status. A silence fell upon the room as all eyes turned towards him.

"Leave it to me. I will make the young lady an offer she cannot refuse"

A murmur of approval instantly swept across the gathered assembly of some of the most powerful and influential death gods in Soul Society


	5. Muddy Waters

**A/N**: Hi there! Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews! I really appreciate it. I've just done some light editing: I've renamed the previous chapter and made a few name changes but nothing that should change the flow of the story. This new chapter shows a little character inner reflection. Hope you like XD

* * *

MUDDY WATERS

By Ayame213

Hisana loved these moments between dawn and daylight when the world was still so peaceful and still. She stopped to look up in the sky and breathe in the crisp morning air.

"_Ok, back to work!"_

She had diligently resumed her task of sweeping the steps at the entrance of the mansion when she heard a familiar voice calling out her name.

"Good morning Hisa-chan! I've come to give you a hand!"

It was Karin, her closest friend in the household who greeted her with a big smile "Guess what? Nao and Airi are on the run again from Tachibana-san!" She chuckled. "Can you believe that, so early this morning?"

At the mention of the first two names, Hisana uneasily recalled that Nao in particular had been eyeing her rather suspiciously lately, sometimes even shooting murderous glances in her direction. In fact, it wasn't just Nao but an entire group of female staff had started giving her the cold shoulder over the past few weeks. However, she could not figure out for the life of her what she could have done to merit such scary, bloodthirsty looks. A cold shiver ran down her spine.

"…_maybe it's just my imagination…"_

Meanwhile, Karin was already pulling back her sleeves ready to attack the job at hand when they both noticed the approaching figure.

"Good morning my Lord" Karin and Hisana greeted Byakuya in turn.

He only nodded slightly in response and continued on his way, never once breaking his stride. For a moment both girls stared in silence at his retreating back.

Karin sighed, "Byakuya-sama is so handsome but…does he have to be so cold? Shouldn't he say something like 'uwah, don't you ladies look beautiful this morning? Seeing your radiant faces has truly made my day!' or maybe something like…"

Hisana wasn't listening, once again lost in her own thoughts. It had been over a month now since that time but she still felt a sharp pang of guilt whenever she happened to be in his presence.

"_One evening, he suddenly asked me to sit down with him after I had served him his tea in the garden. I was so surprised…. I was afraid that I had done something to offend him. _

_When I sat down and he did not say anything right away, I got so nervous that I started babbling non-stop about the most random things. I must have appeared so rude but…he is such a nice person…he patiently answered even my silliest questions. After a while, I was able to calm down and…I know it's completely ridiculous but…I almost felt like I was chatting with an old friend._

_Unfortunately, the conversation soon drifted back to me._

_He asked me what I was doing in Kusajishi on the day he found me. I couldn't lie so I told him about Rukia…but I could not tell him the entire truth. I simply told him that we were somehow 'separated' from each other. Thankfully he did not press me for more details. _

_I did not have the courage to tell him that I just…left her there and ran away as fast as I could. _

_I'm really the worst._

_He is the reason why I am still here today but I…I couldn't even be honest with him…"_

"Hisana, you haven't heard a word I've said have you! Is everything alright? You look so pale…and what's with that expression on your face?" Karin placed a hand on her friend's forehead as if to check for her temperature.

With that one gesture of affection, Hisana wanted to break down and confide in her right then and there. She began to say something, but finally thought better of it.

"_I can't let Karin-chan worry about me"_

So instead she smiled and backed away, "It's nothing, it's nothing. I'm fine! I guess I'm still a bit sleepy…now let's finish what we came here to do before Tachibana-san comes this way"

"Aaargh! And you know what will happen if she does! Anyway, did you know that…" Karin went on to fill Hisana in on the latest and hottest gossip in the household. Meanwhile, Hisana slowly let her friend's laughter and the rays of the morning sun chase away the dark clouds that had gathered in her heart.

* * *

Byakuya was actually on his way to an important meeting with the Gotei 13. However, he could not help but steal a quick glance over his shoulder…

"_This…is getting ridiculous"_

It had started with him noticing little things about her. Like the way she wore her hair (held back with a silver ribbon when he sometimes met her like this in the mornings / falling loosely to her shoulders when he returned in the late afternoons).

Or the way her eyes seemed to change with the reflection of the light (the color varied somewhere between midnight black and liquid amethyst).

For some reason, he also knew of her weakness for sweets (anything with frosting on it) and her habit of rejoicing over even the most mundane details.

At first he convinced himself that he was merely being observant. After all, the girl had been living under his roof all this time and yet he knew almost nothing about her. As the head of the Kuchiki Clan, he had many enemies and therefore had to be on his guard at every moment…she could turn out to be a skilled assassin from a rival clan or even a dangerous spy from Hueco Mundo….

Then, after much internal debate and strategic analysis he had finally been willing to admit that he may be experiencing some sort of minor…pointless…fleeting…physical attraction. Unfortunately, just as he was starting to get used to the idea, things started to get out of hand:

Suddenly, he found himself choosing his words more carefully when he addressed her so as not to sound too abrupt – though ordinarily, he would not have cared less.

Not long ago, he asked her about her past over tea and biscuits as if it were the most natural thing in the world – when he could have easily just pulled up her official records.

In the past few days, the latest trend he noted was that his pulse would more or less start to quicken at the sound of her voice – which was just wrong for so many reasons.

"_This…is unlike me"_

Annoyed, confused, and just seriously pissed off, Byakuya clenched his fists as he entered the conference room where the others had gathered for the squad meeting. For the first time in his life, he was not sure what he wanted and he did not understand where all this was going but one thing was certain: these thoughts were starting to take up entirely too much space in his mind.

Ukitake and Kyouraku exchanged a glance. Although Kuchiki Taichou's facial expression remained as calm and aloof as ever, no one could fail to notice the dark and oppressive aura of bad mood that seemed to emanate from the very depths of his being.


	6. The Ties that Bind: Act I

THE TIES THAT BIND: ACT I

By Ayame213

Another day gone pass in Soul Society. The sun had already retired for the day and so had most of the Kuchiki mansion. Hisana was just about to get ready for bed herself when she heard a knock at the door.

"_Karin…"_ she thought.

Only Karin would come knocking at a time like this and more often than not, it was to share gossip and late night snacks – precisely in that order.

A smile already playing on her lips, Hisana opened her room door with a flourish ready to welcome her friend. However, instead of Karin's playful grin, Hisana was greeted by the trademark bitter frown of her superior, Tachibana-san.

"_Huh…?"_

Hisana's smile visibly faltered.

"Ah…good evening Tachibana-san" she managed, bowing her head in respect

This obvious lack of enthusiasm only seemed to deepen the permanent crease in between the other woman's eyebrows. She didn't even bother to return the greeting.

"Hisana-san, come with me for a moment" she ordered, already starting down the hallway.

Hisana barely had time to put on her sandals, find her keys, close her room door and catch up to her before she disappeared around the corner. They walked down the softly lit corridors of the staff quarters and out towards the koi pond. To Hisana's surprise, they then continued down a lonely pathway bordering the rose garden.

Tachibana-san had not offered any details as to where they were going and Hisana knew she had no other choice but to follow. Still, the further they got away from the main buildings, the more uneasy she felt. She tried to somehow orient herself from her surroundings but the night was pitch black, with only the faint glow of the path lights at their feet to guide their steps.

Finally, they turned into a small courtyard and Hisana recognized the distinct layout of one of the five guest residences that were artfully scattered across the vast Kuchiki domain. Relieved, she dared to speak up:

"Ah…do we have a new visitor?" she ventured timidly. "Would you like me to prepare the quarters? Should I bring in some clean linen or maybe…" she trailed off nervously as her words were met with stone cold silence.

"_It's no use"_ Hisana sighed inwardly _"This woman is like a fortress…"_

A few minutes later, they had entered the living room and were kneeling down in front of a small mahogany table. A steaming pot of jasmine tea and two cups were already laid out on top of it.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind the paper screen door at the other end of the room.

Hisana stiffened. For the first time that evening, she felt a small wave of fear creeping into her heart. She had been so certain that Tachibana-san came to fetch her in order to dish out some last minute chores but…what was with this strange atmosphere?

The screen door slowly creaked open and a distinguished looking gentleman stepped into the room. He was tall and impeccably dressed in the traditional noble attire. Three rows of black kenseikan were lined to the right side of his head, partly sweeping back his steel grey hair from his face. His emerald green eyes were dark and inscrutable as he stood before them.

Tachibana-san bowed down low, hastily pulling Hisana down with her to do the same. She then announced in a voice filled with reverence:

"Kuchiki Akira-sama, this is the young lady in question as per your request. Her name is Suou Hisana but prefers to be simply addressed by her first name. She has been working at the Kuchiki mansion for approximately six months now".

"I thank you Tachibana-san. I would like to speak with Hisana-san in private for a moment, if I may"

"Yes, of course Akira-sama. Please excuse me. I will be in the next room if you need anything" A few seconds later, the screen door had already opened and shut. Hisana and Akira were left alone.

" _Oh God, please don't tell me…this woman is trying to sell me isn't she? She hates me that much doesn't she? But why?! Or worse yet, she's in league with those strange girls from the mansion and they're planning something unspeakable aren't they? I'm going to be put away for good this time aren't I?"_

Hisana knew she was being wildly over dramatic but at a time like this, it seemed like anything was possible. She clapsed her hands in her lap and fought to get a grip on her runaway thoughts.

"_Ok, no…just breathe…breathe and relax…you can do this. This person seems to be related to Byakuya-sama, so he can't be that bad can he? So…so let's see what he has to say first"._

She somehow managed to steady her trembling shoulders and faced the man before her with renewed determination.

* * *

Akira watched the changing display of emotions on Hisana's face with mild amusement.

"_What a funny child"_ he thought. She almost reminded him of his own daughter.

However, what had to be done had to be done. It was of course very premature to even conceive that Byakuya may be interested in this girl as anything more than just a passing fancy, but Akira was a strong believer in prevention being better than cure.

He also had good reason to be overly cautious. It had become an unspoken but nonetheless sacred rule that no commoner should ever become part of the Clan – through marriage or otherwise. This was for fear that the legendary Kuchiki spirit force would eventually die out if it were to be tainted by ordinary human blood. After all, reiatsu was something that was typically transmitted from one generation of Shinigami to the next. Considering that most humans were – even at best – only a mediocre source of such reiatsu, a union between both races could mean disaster for the future of the Kuchiki lineage and threaten the position of the Kuchiki Household as the first among all noble Houses.

It was indeed a delicate situation…especially, at such an important time like this in the affairs of the Clan. Akira was therefore determined to take care of the task before him as swiftly and painlessly as possible. He smiled at the girl and said,

"Thank you for coming here Hisana-san, it is so nice to finally meet you. I have heard so much about you. I came to give Byakuya a little visit and the discussions I needed to have with him have just ended. However, I did not want to retire for the night without at least getting a glimpse of your face. I therefore apologize for the late hour and I beg you to forgive the selfishness of an eccentric old man"

"…I see…" Hisana murmured in response – although it was clear she really had no idea what he was talking about. "It's…it's nothing. The pleasure is all mine"

Akira chuckled softly, "What I mean is that I have heard a lot about the circumstances of your arrival here with us. You were quite fortunate that Byakuya was in the vicinity…though I must admit, it is not often that my cute little nephew goes around rescuing damsels in distress"

"I…I truly am eternally grateful to Byakuya-sama. I can only hope to pay him back a little for what he has done for me"

"Of course, of course. Now how do you like your stay at the mansion? Are they treating you well?"

"Yes, quite well thank you"

"And the rest of the staff? Have you made many friends?"

"Yes, well I…" Hisana stopped in mid-sentence as she saw Akira reach into his breast pocket and pull out a golden cigarette case.

'You don't mind if I smoke do you? A dreadful old habit I picked up in my youth and haven't been able to shake off ever since". He casually extracted a cigarette, struck a match and inhaled deeply.

He then glanced over at Hisana and lowered his voice conspiratorially, "You won't tell anyone will you? If my daughter or my wife were to find out, I'd surely be slaughtered"

His smile was so disarming, Hisana couldn't help but smile back "…I assure you, whatever you say to me will not leave this room…but you _should_ stop you know, it's really bad for your health and think about your lungs! They must be as black as charcoal by now and– "

"I know, I know, I know!" Akira threw up his hands in mock surrender before she could continue on with the lecture. They both shared a laugh. Hisana felt her initial anxiety slowly dissipating. In fact, they drank the tea that was on the table and chatted on quite easily for a while.

Eventually the conversation turned to Byakuya. Akira had Hisana in stitches as he revealed a number of embarrassing moments about his "cute little nephew's" childhood. In fact, he was now telling her about the time chibi–Byakuya challenged a certain Shihouin Yoruichi to a dango-eating contest:

"It became clear early on that he was no match for her but he absolutely refused to admit defeat, as stubborn as he is. All the while, his tearful mother watched anxiously from the sidelines as her only son turned increasingly green in the face. She begged and pleaded with him to give up but he still would have none of it.

Finally, his exasperated father had to order four of the guards to discreetly knock him out and haul him away before he ended up killing himself. Such a thing would not have been possible under normal circumstances but by then Byakuya was so weak from exhaustion; they plucked him from there like a flower.

For days afterwards, the foolish boy laid heaving on his back unable to move from indigestion! Even to this day, if anyone so much as mentions the word 'dango', you'll notice a very slight but unmistakable nervous twitch in his eyebrow" Akira laughed heartily.

"Oh no, that's awful!" Hisana exclaimed but in truth she could not stop laughing. She delicately wiped a tear from her eye as Akira paused to take another drag of a freshly lit cigarette.

"Of course, you know that this is also off the record don't you? I think Byakuya will be even more deadly than my wife", he then said with a twinkle in his eye

"Yes, yes, I solemnly promise! I absolutely will not tell a soul about anything you've shared with me tonight" Hisana merrily replied, still recovering

However it seemed like Akira had suddenly turned serious. She hesitated,

"…Akira-sama..?"

"…If that is truly the case, then Hisana-san I must also let you know of this little piece of information…the Kuchiki Clan has finally found a suitable bride for Byakuya. In two days, he will be engaged to be married"

* * *

Reiatsu – Spirit force

Chibi – Little

Dango – A type of Japanese sweet. (These ones look really yummy:

www004.upp.so-net.ne.jp/ichi/p9707900.htm) XD


	7. The Ties that Bind: Act II

THE TIES THAT BIND: ACT II

By Ayame 213

"In two days, Byakuya will be engaged to be married…"

Hisana felt a strange stabbing pain in her chest. For some reason, the pain seemed to grow more intense as the details casually rolled off of Akira's lips:

"…the girl in question is the daughter of the current leader of the Miyamoto clan. This is one of the oldest clans in Soul Society, you know. Anyway, I must say she is quite striking…the most unusual golden blond hair and pale grey eyes. She's also an excellent swordswoman…quite impressive really…I believe she even finished at the top of the Special Advanced class at the Academy. She should be a good match for Byakuya"

Hisana again struggled to regain her composure "Y-yes…she sounds lovely" she finally managed.

Akira paused to flick the ash off the tip of his cigarette. He chuckled softly, "My poor Hisana-san, you've been quite a good sport haven't you...? But I know you must be wondering why I've kept you here this long and why I've been telling you all these things"

He then leaned over and gently took her hand, "Hisana-san…I think it will be in your best interest to leave the mansion as soon as possible. You see, you are the only person in the household who is neither a death god nor a member of the nobility. This would merely seem unusual under normal circumstances but as I have just explained to you, we are in the middle of negotiating a very important alliance…"

Akira watched her intently. His eyes were kind but his words cut like a rusty knife,

"…I'm afraid your continued presence in our midst may raise too many eyebrows and turn into an unwanted distraction. Your intention was to remain until you had repaid your debt to Byakuya, am I right? I applaud your sense of duty but I think that in this case, the sentiment will only result in more harm than good".

The color drained from Hisana's cheeks as she silently wrestled with the implications of all that had just been said.

"_I'm so stupid. I should have known. I've been in the way all this time…all this time I've just been causing trouble for Byakuya-sama" _she thought miserably

Akira insisted, "Do you understand Hisana-san?"

She nodded slowly in response.

"Good girl" He gently squeezed her hand before slowly reaching into his breast pocket. This time however, he pulled out a thick brown envelope and placed it carefully on the table in front of her.

"Please accept this small token of my appreciation. It is not much but it should help you live comfortably even after you hand in your resignation to Tachibana-san. I wish you well Hisana-san and I truly believe that this is for the best. I also hope I can still count on you to keep this conversation solely between the two of us"

Hisana barely remembered how she returned to her room that night. Unable to sleep, she gazed numbly at the blackened sky outside her bedroom window…before long the sun was rising, signaling the start of yet another day.

* * *

Karin happily strolled along the staff corridors with a bag of freshly made melon pan in one hand and a small bottle of sake hidden under her uniform.

Her destination: Hisa-chan's room

Her mission: cheer up her friend who had looked truly awful all day but would not tell her what was wrong.

Her weapons: sweets, alcohol, and the delicious news that Tachibana-san apparently reads smutty novels in her spare time and hides the evidence in the sleeves of the leather notebook she carries everywhere with her.

Karin was therefore filled with anticipation as she knocked loudly on the familiar doorframe. To her dismay, Hisana failed to answer.

"_Don't tell me she's already asleep? It's only six o'clock! Or maybe she went somewhere?..."_ Karin wondered

She tentatively tried the door handle and to her surprise it gave way.

"_How strange…Hisana would never leave her room door unlocked if she was out" _

"Hisa-chan?" Karin called out as she pushed the door wider and stepped into the room.

"Hisa-chan…?" she trailed off as her eyes widened in shock.

Hisana's room was completely stripped of her personal belongings. It was never much, but the fresh flowers she always kept in the vase on her desk, the tiny jewelry box in her drawer, the colorful quilt she had stitched all on her own…her clothes! Everything was gone.

Karin felt terribly guilty searching around like this but it was hard to fight this growing sense of alarm. Slowly, she backed away from the closet and turned to face the empty room.

"_No…no way…"_

An object on the bed suddenly caught her eye. It was a brown envelope. Without a second thought, Karin tore it open…inside was more money than she had ever seen in her life.

* * *

Sick with worry, Karin burst out of the room and ran as fast as she could to the only place she could think of. However, just as she about to cross the threshold of the residence, a guard suddenly appeared from out of nowhere to block her path.

"I am sorry but my Lord is not available at the moment. I cannot let you pass"

"Gorou, you idiot! This isn't time for you to swing your weight around, let me through, I have to speak with him!"

Gorou instantly turned bright red at Karin's undiplomatic choice of words.

"When are you going to take me seriously dammit?! I'm in my last year at the Academy and I'll soon be joining the Gotei 13 so the least you can do is show some respect! There's no way I'm letting you through"

"Oh, get over yourself! How can I respect a boy who wet the bed until he was 14 years old? Now get out of the way!" Karin yelled, trying to push him aside.

"Why you...! Oi…!!"

Struggle ensued.

However, just when it seemed like Karin was about to get the upper hand (after a strategic kick in a highly vulnerable area), a stern voice interrupted their pointless bickering:

"What do you think you are doing"

The warring parties immediately flew apart. Karin hastily bowed her head down low while Gorou dropped down to one knee,

"My deepest apologies Byakuya-sama. Welcome back" They each whispered, shamefaced.

Byakuya was not in the mood. It had been a long day and he was looking forward to some much needed rest. He walked passed them and made his way to the door when Karin suddenly cried out,

"Byakuya-sama! It's Hisa-chan…all her things…she…I don't know where she is! Hisana's gone!"

After a moment of excruciating silence, Byakuya finally replied,

"Is that a good enough reason for you to cause a ruckus in front of my home?"

His words were like a slap in the face. Karin took a step back, confused. She had come here with such confidence – almost purely on instinct. For some reason, she had been so sure that he would help her…but there was no mistaking now the sharp edge in his voice.

Karin knew better than to talk back.

"…no. No it isn't" she whispered. "Please forgive my rudeness. It will never happen again"

The door slammed firmly shut behind the Lord of the House. To Karin's utter frustration, two hot teardrops silently rolled down her face.

* * *

**A/N:** Hi! Ayame here. As always, many thanks for your encouraging reviews! Well, this is turning out to be quite the bittersweet love story, ne? I know that the last few chapters have leaned more towards the bitter side (hopefully in a good way) but please wipe your tears for now and keep reading cuz starting next time, it's going to get oh so much sweeter XD Please look forward to it!


	8. A Hundred Truths

A HUNDRED TRUTHS

By Ayame 213

Hisana hesitated at the gate, suddenly realizing that the guards were very likely to question her. She probably did look somewhat suspicious: unaccompanied woman, heavy bag on her shoulder, misery written all over her face…

To her surprise however, they let her straight through without even batting an eyelid. Perhaps Tachibana-san or Akira had whispered a word to them to facilitate her departure?

Well, it didn't matter anymore because Hisana had already formed her resolve: as she walked along the gravel path that led away from the Kuchiki mansion, not once did she stop to look back at the place she had called home for the past six months. The most important thing on her mind right now was to keep moving. Keep moving before the weight in her heart decided to crush her.

"_I'm sorry"_

She hated the way she had left. Karin would surely be worried sick. However, it would have been almost impossible to face Karin without revealing her conversation with Akira. So rather than lie, she had thought it best to just disappear.

At least that is what she wanted to believe…but that in itself was a lie, right?

The truth was that she just could not bear to go through yet another sad goodbye. So in the end, she had been much more concerned with protecting her own feelings and her own peace of mind rather than that of her friend. This attitude…it was almost in the same way she had treated Rukia.

"_I'm so sorry" _

She thought she had changed since that time…but maybe old habits die hard.

"_Why does it always turn out like this? Why do I always behave like such a coward?!"_

Hisana struggled to hold back the tears that threatened to overflow and concentrate on the road ahead. Keep moving. The most important thing was to keep moving. So for now, she could not afford to think about Rukia, or Karin, or…him.

No, he was absolutely the worst person to think about right now…but of course, that was much easier said than done.

"_I've come to rely on him too much...yet I have nothing to offer him in return"_

Although she found him to be incredibly intimidating, Byakuya's quiet presence had for some reason always been a comfort to her. Even on days when she had started to feel discouraged on the search for her sister, just one glimpse of his white captain's coat had been enough to put her mind back at ease.

Was it simply because he had saved her that time? Hisana did not quite understand it herself. However, she did know that he had always been kind to her and for that reason, she would have liked to stay by his side just a little longer and be useful to him somehow.

"…_How naïve…"_

She fully understood now just how much she had been in the way. Byakuya must have known that her presence at the mansion would put him in an awkward position but because of his kindness, he had still gone ahead and taken her in.

Hisana was ashamed of herself. Once again, she had only thought of herself; in her zeal to repay her debt, she hadn't stopped to think of the consequences and had unwittingly been on the verge of costing him his happiness...with his future bride.

"_It is only right for me to disappear" _

At least now, she had a chance to make things right…and soon, he would forget all about her.

Hisana smiled sadly as the cool evening breeze brushed against her cheek.

"…_It's better this way…"_

* * *

"…_It's better this way…"_ Byakuya reasoned as he shut the door behind him.

At least this way he could finally get her out of his head. It was actually a relief. A big weight off his shoulders...

He slowly peeled off his uniform and took a long shower. However, as the streams of hot water steadily poured down his tired body, Karin's words would not stop ringing in his ears: "Hisana's gone"

Annoyed, he switched off the tap a little too abruptly (almost breaking it in the process), changed into a casual black yukata, and marched back into the room.

"_I am getting engaged"_

Akira had informed him that the Clan had narrowed their choice down to Miyamoto Shizuka. Not that Byakuya had really cared either way; he knew he needed to get married eventually and the women they brought forward were all the same.

Case in point, of the few times he had come in contact with Shizuka, Byakuya had already gathered that she was beautiful, intelligent, skilled in Kidou and martial arts, and…even more boring than he was.

Still, she was also the embodiment of Soul Society nobility and an alliance with her family could potentially be a powerful asset to the Clan.

"_Tomorrow evening is the introduction ceremony. I am not going to waste my last night of freedom to run after some random girl from Rukongai"._

And that was all well and good but as he lay down on the bed, eyes towards the ceiling, Byakuya could not help but make a few mental calculations:

If Karin had just noticed now that Hisana went missing (and they both usually seemed to be joined by the hip), then that means that she had left not too long ago.

He glanced at the clock on the wall…it was getting late. Summer was coming to an end and the nights were starting to get rather chilly.

"_That idiot..."_

Next, Byakuya recalled that the Sereitei's Eastern Gate was the nearest one leading out to Rukongai from the Kuchiki mansion. However, it was still quite a distance if you can't use Shunpo – at least a three hour drive.

"…_and knowing her, she probably decided to walk…" _

He tried closing his eyes to help put an end to this pointless train of thought. Unfortunately, that only seemed to fuel his imagination with several gruesome and bizarre scenarios:

He first imagined her being attacked on her way to the Gate by a hoard of drunken death gods, who would no doubt be delighted to find an unaccompanied woman with no reiatsu whatsoever wandering the streets at night…

Supposing she made it safely to the Gate, Byakuya then got an image of her being slashed by the gatekeeper because she did not carry a pass authorizing her to leave the Sereitei. Only death gods were allowed back and forth without a pass…

Assuming she did somehow succeed in bypassing the gatekeeper and making it to the other side, he pictured her living pitifully from hand to mouth in the ghettos of Rukongai when she had been perfectly well taken care of here…!!

"Damn", Byakuya swore under his breath as he threw on a jacket and grabbed his sword on his way out the door.


	9. At that Moment in Time

**A/N:** Happy New Year everyone! Many many many apologies for not updating sooner. I'll definitely try to step up my game in 2007 XD . Anyways, here we are again (finally) and the story continues! In fact, this saga is far from over so please keep reading and let me know what you think XD

* * *

AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME

By Ayame213

"Hisana"

Without thinking, the girl in question turned to the sound of her name. And when she did, her heart almost stopped. It was him…but why? In her confusion she blurted out the first thing that came to mind,

"Byakuya-sama…what…what are you doing here?! It's getting late, you'll catch a co–..."

She stopped mid-sentence, instantly regretting the words as soon as they came out of her mouth. But it was already too late: Byakuya's eyes flashed dangerously as a dark and threatening aura slowly began to rise and take shape in the atmosphere around them.

"…Suou Hisana…" he began in an ominous tone "…don't you think _I _should be the one saying that?"

Hisana felt her entire body quake in fear.

"_Sc-scary…so scary!!...and to say my full name…he's really angry isn't he?!"_

Byakuya took a step forward. Hisana blanched.

"_Eeeep!! Imsorryimsorryimsorryyyy…"_ squeezing her eyes shut, she braced her body for some sort of impact.

Instead however, she felt a strange and heavy warmth spread throughout her back and shoulders. She cautiously opened her eyes and to her dismay, Byakuya seemed to have draped his jacket around her.

"Let's go" he said, the anger already dissipated from his eyes "You can explain yourself in the morning"

As he then turned to leave (clearly expecting to be obeyed), Hisana finally snapped out of her reverie:

"Ah! Byakuya-sama, I...please…I can't!"

"Don't be silly" he said, "If you are going to leave, at least think it through and leave prepared. Let's go."

The finality in his tone made it clear that he would leave no further room for argument. Hisana could feel her resolve starting to crumble at an alarming rate. How easy it would be to just follow him! His jacket was three times too big…but it was warm on her back and his scent still lingered on it, familiar and comforting. Had he really come all the way out here…for her?

She took a step forward. And then another. But before she could succumb to the sudden feelings of happiness and relief that threatened to overwhelm her, Akira's words came back to mind:

"_In two days, Byakuya will be engaged to be married…"_

Hisana froze as she remembered all too clearly the situation she was really in. No matter how nice Byakuya was being to her, she knew it would be a huge mistake. Gathering her last bit of courage, Hisana bowed her head down low and said:

"Byakuya-sama…thank you for all that you have done for me…thank you for your concern but I…Please go on without me. Please…don't bother yourself with me anymore"

She no longer dared to look at him. Was he angry again? She could feel his piercing blue eyes staring down at her…he obviously thought she was just being stubborn and foolish.

"I know it was silly of me to depart at such a late hour" she nervously stumbled on, "…but I'll be fine…really…you know that time…when you found me…I…I had just been caught off guard…really. I actually learned quite well how to defend myself in Rukongai…"

As proof, she held up a scrawny bicep "See? Nothing to worry about!…aha…ha ha…ha…uhm…"

Hisana knew that was lame – even for her – but then again it didn't really matter anymore…because the simple truth was that she could not return with him, she would never see him again and she would never have the chance to tell him all the things she really wanted to say.

So in the end Hisana did the smartest thing she had done since the start of this entire conversation: after returning the jacket still on her back to its rightful owner, she whispered a final thank you and goodbye and slowly began to walk away.

* * *

Byakuya's eyes had narrowed in annoyance at Hisana's pathetic display of strength.

"_This girl…who does she think she is kidding?"_

Under normal circumstances (and as a matter of principle), he never would have tolerated such blatant disregard for his orders…but after she pulled that stunt…he figured it was just best to let it go

"_Nevermind. She is no longer my responsibility and she is free to do as she pleases"_

So Byakuya watched in silence as she walked away. It was about time for him to go home now anyway and get some of that much needed rest. The only problem was that he couldn't seem to move from his spot…or take his eyes off of the woman in front of him that was moving further and further away. Why did he hesitate? He knew his job here was done.

"_She is finally out of my life…this time for good"_

And that was a good thing. Just as he was thinking earlier; it was actually a relief. He was well aware of the murderous glances she had been receiving from a number of female staff at the mansion. He also knew that her presence had started to be a cause for growing discomfort within the upper ranks of the Clan. In short, it was just beginning to be too much of a hassle. At least this way she had saved him the task of having to break the news.

Still, despite all this his body remained firmly rooted in its original spot…and he could not for the life of him figure out why his heart suddenly felt like it was sinking with every new step she took.

"…_I don't want to let her go…"_

The thought came out of nowhere and was like an assault onto his senses. It was completely ridiculous, not to mention complete madness!

However before Byakuya could fully recover from the trauma of this new discovery…before logic, pride, and sense of duty could fully catch up to his heart…and more importantly, before he could truly understand that he was about to set himself up to possibly experiencing his first and most humiliating defeat…

…the words had already crossed his lips…

"Marry me Hisana"

* * *

His words seemed to echo in the stillness of the evening. There was no mistaking what had just been said. However as Hisana slowly turned around, heart pounding wildly, she smiled uncertainly and said,

"…I'm sorry…what…I…did you say something…?"

"…I'm asking…I am asking you to be my wife" Byakuya replied, his voice calm and steady.

A long and seemingly interminable silence stretched on between them as Hisana tried to make sense of what was going on

"Why…what are you saying…? You're already…Miyamoto-san...are you…are you making fun of me?" she ended in a hoarse whisper

Byakuya was just about to assure her that he never made such jokes (or any other kind for that matter), when the sound of that name on her lips made him stop – all the pieces of the puzzle now fell into place.

"…Hisana…someone from the Clan approached you and that is the reason why you left in such a haphazard manner...correct?"

Hisana remained quiet, resolutely staring at the ground

"Listen…" he went on, "…about what I just said…I am serious. The issue with Miyamoto Shizuka is irrelevant. Besides, it is also to your advantage. You will be well taken care of and you will have all the resources you want to continue the search for your family if you so wish…"

Suddenly, it was then Byakuya's turn to fall silent.

"_God, what am I saying?..."_

To say that things were not exactly going his way would be an understatement: not only did she know about the engagement (so that it now made him seem like a two-timing bastard) but he had also somehow found the way to make his request sound more like a business deal. Poor Byakuya. He still could not believe what he was doing let alone think of a proper way to say what he really wanted to say.

Indeed, Hisana tightened her grip on the strap of her bag

"_Oh…I see. He's feeling sorry for me again isn't he? There's no way someone like him…would really want someone like me by his side…I guess it's the same pity he's been feeling for me since day one…because he already knows how weak I am…but I can't do this anymore"_

"Byakuya-sama…" she finally said, "…you're really an amazing person aren't you? You say those things to me but I…I'm a commoner, I always seem to get into trouble, I'm weak, I'm selfish…I'm no one special…I already know that so…so you don't have to humor me any longer"

Hisana was horrified to feel teardrops begin to sting at her eyes. This time she wanted to run away as fast as she could before she could embarrass herself any further. She took a step back, but he suddenly took hold of her hand.

"Forgive me…" he said "…I am no good at this…"

She looked up at him even more confused than ever. Why would he say that…all of this…to her? Why would he…?

It was too much. Everything was just too surreal. The thought even crossed her mind that she had actually fallen asleep on the pathway and that this was all an illusion. Any moment now she would open her eyes and find herself all alone.

Still, there was no denying the warmth of his hand around hers…or the look in his eyes that made her want to believe anything he said…

"…stay with me", he said

It was too much. What was she supposed to do at a time like this? It was too much for just a simple, ordinary girl from Rukongai…

"_My heart…is beating so fast…it feels like it might break"_

…because stories like this only happened in fairytales…right?

However, as she looked up into those navy blue eyes that always seemed so intense, Hisana suddenly decided that if this really was a dream…then even for a little bit longer…she did not want to wake up.

A single whisper crossed her lips…

"…yes…"


	10. Last Man Standing

LAST MAN STANDING

By Ayame 213

**4:21 pm **

Anyone who crossed the threshold of the Kuchiki Clan Headquarters that afternoon would have been struck by the same peculiar feeling: the tension in the air was almost palpable. Small wonder, the ceremony that would place a final seal on the Miyamoto negotiations was less than three hours away!

However, not a single detail had been left up to chance. The engagement gifts were wrapped, the sake had been ordered, all official documents had been prepared…and just so as to completely eradicate any eventualities, a final strategy meeting was being held in the conference room at 4:30 pm precise – Clan Elders only.

In fact, a number of them had already arrived on the premises. Some could be found engaged in private conversations or drifting in and out of the busy hallways. Only one however had chosen to lock himself up in his private office until the appointed time…

* * *

Kuchiki Akira had come in early supposedly to finish some last minute paper work but in reality it was more to sneak in one last cigarette before he went home later on that day.

His office was probably one of the last places he could smoke in peace…especially since his wife Mariko had made a vow to once and for all put a stop to his unhealthy lifestyle. To this end, she had just returned from a holiday trip to the real world with a pile of health magazines, something called a "juicer" and a look in her eye that meant he was in trouble…

Indeed, despite all his fervent protests, Mariko had put him on a strict "low fat–low sodium–no red meat" diet and was also conducting an aggressive anti-tobacco campaign throughout their entire household. No matter how hard he tried to explain to her that he was already in the best shape of his life and that more importantly, he did not _feel_ like changing any of his habits, the woman simply refused to listen to reason.

Leaning back against his chair, Akira exhaled a delicate cloud of nicotine and smiled,

"_I think I'll form a club…_'_whipped husbands anonymous'…or something like that…" _

Truth be told however, he didn't really mind. She worried about him too much and he in turn could rarely say "no" to her.

"…_and that is why I, a full grown man and a member of the Kuchiki Clan ruling circle, am currently hiding in my office like a naughty school boy…"_

Akira chuckled softly and took another drag of his cigarette.

He was no doubt in a good mood. While most of his peers were walking around on pins and needles, he was probably the only one who could afford to indulge in such carefree thoughts at a time like this. That is because as far as he was concerned, this alliance was already sealed. After all, he had seen to every important detail himself…and up until now his strategic moves never failed to produce the intended results…

A knock at the door interrupted his private musings.

- "Come in"

- "Akira-sama. I have been asked to inform you that the conference room is now open"

- "Fine, I'll be right there"

Akira made his way down the hall. After this meeting, he would join the delegation going to the Miyamoto household and then return home later that evening where a dinner of steamed carrots and raw celery most likely awaited him…

He sighed heavily as he pushed open the door,

"_Women…"_

* * *

**4.33 pm**

After all official protocol had been observed, all ten Kuchiki Clan Elders finally took their seats. As usual, Byakuya was due to give the opening remarks. He coolly faced the gathered assembly and made the following statement:

"We are all very busy people so I will make this brief: I have called off the engagement ceremony that was to take place this evening. In exchange, I have negotiated a formal military treaty with the Miyamoto Clan, effective immediately. Duplicate copies of the document in question are now being circulated for your review. The originals are in the vault in the Clan archive room. I will now take a maximum of five of your questions. Any other inquiries will be put on hold until the next month's general meeting. You may proceed."

A deathly silence filled the room. 70 percent of the jaws around the table had dropped open. The remaining 30 percent of the men looked like they were on the verge of a heart attack.

Finally, Kuchiki Shigeo was the first to speak up – or rather mutter in disbelief,

- "…wh–what?"

- "Do not make me repeat myself" Byakuya calmly replied

- "But…I…what do you…?"

- "…do any of you have any _real_ questions?" Byakuya asked directing his attention towards the others.

- "…but…what did you– "

- "If you have nothing better to say Shigeo then please do shut up!" Kuchiki Hajime suddenly burst out angrily

Shigeo turned to face him, incredulous

- "How dare you talk to me like that?!"

- "I will talk to you any way I want to!"

- "I demand respect! Do you know who I am?!"

- "I know that if you are now too senile to understand plain language then I propose you be disbarred from this assembly!"

The meeting quickly disintegrated into quite an undignified display of Soul Society nobility: angry comments flew back and forth across the room. People were banging their fists on the table. Voices were getting louder.

Amidst the chaos, one man stood up

- "Silence!"

It was Akira. And just like magic, there was indeed silence. He grimly surveyed the room and then slowly turned to Byakuya,

- "What is the meaning of this?" he quietly asked

- "It is just as I have said"

Akira then got a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach.

- "…does this mean that you have someone else in mind?"

- "Yes"

- "…who is it?" Akira's asked, his voice slightly hoarse

- "…Suou Hisana"

A low rumble of disbelief went across the room. Wait a minute…they all knew that name! Wasn't it that little brat they had decided to get rid of in the first place? Didn't Akira say he would take care of it? So not only was the lucrative deal with the Miyamotos off but they were now also faced with the humiliation of sharing the family name with gutter riffraff?! What the hell was going on here?!

Meanwhile, Akira could only stare at his nephew.

"_Impossible…would he really go this far?"_

He tried again, "Byakuya…you cannot be serious…she is a commoner…this is unlike you"

However Byakuya had had enough: "You have heard my decision. This meeting is adjourned"

He then rose to his feet and calmly walked out of the room.

His departure caused the assembly to once again descend into chaos. This time Akira did not bother to stop them. He caught up to his nephew in the hallway.

"Byakuya!…Byakuya, if you really want to keep this girl by your side then why not just make her your mistress? It is perfectly acceptable. But if you insist on going through with this, the others will never accept it…and you know what the Clan is capable of…"

Byakuya stopped in his tracks but did not turn around.

"Akira…" he began calmly, "…since I took control of the Clan, I have vowed to maintain our values and protect our interests and I shall continue to do so. However, make no mistake; she is mine now. And if any one of you tries to touch even a single hair on her head….even if it is you, Akira…"

It was a thinly veiled threat. Actually, knowing Byakuya it was more like a promise...it was then that Akira finally understood the situation for what it really was. The only reason he hadn't seriously considered it before was because the possibility had seemed so remote, so inconceivable…and yet…

"…Byakuya…you are in love with this girl…aren't you?"

His nephew did not say a word but Akira did not fail to notice the slight stiffening in his back…

Akira watched him walk away.

"_Well I'll be damned"_

* * *

**4.42 pm**

The silence in the hallway was only broken by the click of Akira's lighter. He leaned against the wall, took in a deep breath and felt the familiar heady rush of nicotine flowing through his veins…

"…_no...this won't do…I think I need a drink as well…"_


	11. Omake1: Family Portrait

**A/N:** Ayame desu! As always, thank you for your wonderful comments and thank you for your patience (I know I've been a bit slow in updating) This omake is the first out of a series that I will use throughout the story to make a transition or to add some further details. This particular one gives a bit more context to the sub-plot. The next full-length chapter will be up in a few days and will put the spotlight back on our lovely couple. Please look forward to it!

* * *

OMAKE #1: FAMILY PORTRAIT

By Ayame 213

For the first time in its entire existence, the Kuchiki Clan ruling circle was faced with an intractable dilemma. They could not afford to lose Byakuya over this nonsense but at the same time, there was no way they could live with his decision.

So what do you do when your once perfect leader has now seemingly gone astray? Well, the answer is actually quite simple: you secretly plot for a way to set him back on the right path...

* * *

"…so he really went through with it…"

"…yes…even though we boycotted the ceremony…"

"…and attempted to kidnap the priest…"

"…and ambush the witnesses on their way to the temple…"

"Dammit! We can't let Byakuya jerk us around like this! Just because he is the leader of this Household does not mean he can do whatever he likes…"

"…but we have already exhausted all other means of appealing his decision. Our hands are tied. Our strongest argument was that this went against the sacred rules and traditions of the Clan…but as our current leader, Byakuya's will is also just as valid as the Law…"

"…and that is why we are in this mess in the first place…so what now? Shall we just have the girl killed?"

"…no, too predictable…besides, what if he decides to go slumming again and brings out another one just to spite us?"

"…yes…anything seems possible now"

"…you know, the humiliation is one thing…losing access to the Miyamoto wealth is another…but what I really cannot tolerate are the possible consequences on the Kuchiki lineage. We absolutely cannot let Byakuya's phenomenal reiatsu go to waste!"

"You're right…because of that girl's filthy blood, there is a high probability that a child from this union will be weak…such a thing must never come into this world"

"Well then gentlemen…maybe we should start by thinking more along those lines…"

* * *

Akira listened but did not say a word to intervene in this sinister debate. Blood was thicker than water and he loved his nephew like his own son…but it was ultimately power and influence that would dictate the survival of this family for generations to come.

His eyes darkened as he considered his own course of action.

"_From now on…it seems like things are going to get even more complicated" _


	12. Afterthought

AFTERTHOUGHT

By Ayame 213

"_Dear God…I was just wondering…is it possible to feel incredibly happy and yet absolutely terrified…all at the same time?"_

Hisana stared at her reflection in the mirror, caught up in a daze. A part of her still could not believe all this was really happening. But it must all somehow be true because this evening…she got married.

She was almost 100 percent sure of it.

And if she couldn't trust her memory or the image reflecting back at her in the glass, there was always the weight of the diamond on her finger and the delicate feel of white silk on her body that seemed to further support her theory.

Butterflies gathered in her stomach as another wave of excitement and fear suddenly washed over her. She forced herself to take in a deep breath,

"…_inhale…exhale…inhale…ohmmmm…ohmmmmmmm…"_

* * *

Hisana's Zen meditations were later interrupted when Karin came to help her extricate herself out of the elaborate kimono ensemble. As they carefully worked their way through the layers of beautiful fabric, Karin's breathless chatter quickly filled up the room:

"...it's a good thing that Tachibana-san and the more ardent members of Byakuya-sama's fan club have been permanently rotated to the other Kuchiki households but now there are only about 20 of us to keep this place running! So I can't stay long but you know, you looked so pretty tonight, Hisa-chan! I'm soooo happy for you! I always had a feeling that Byakuya-sama had a crush on you but to think that he actually _proposed_...kyaaa! And now you're his wife! Do you know how many girls would _kill_ to be in your shoes? But then when it's true love it's just meant to be, right? I still can't believe you kept such a secret from me! To think that all this time you were having a love-love relationship with the hottest deathgod in Soul Society and you didn't tell you best friend! I'm really– "

Blushing crimson, Hisana whipped around in a flash "Wh-what are you saying?!…I already told you it's nothing like that!"

"Eeeeh…don't be shy! The cat is out of the bag you know. Besides…" Karin suddenly trailed off. When she spoke again, there was a faraway look in her eyes.

"…besides…after tonight…my little Hisa-chan will finally become a woman…" she sighed and wiped away a tear.

"…eh?..." Hisana stared at her, perplexed

But now it was Karin's turn to blush. She pressed her hands against her cheeks and giggled,

"….you know…_that_...kyaaa! Hisana, lucky!!..."

Now dressed in a simple yukata, Hisana shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another,

"_What's gotten into her all of a sudden…? Did I miss something….?" _

It must be, because Karin was looking at her expectantly, grinning from ear to ear.

So Hisana folded her arms across her chest and bowed her head in concentration.

"_That...that...that...that...?!" _

She gasped and fell to her hands and knees

"_Wait…she can't mean…oh my god…that's right…I…I'm married now…and that…but I never…there's just no way…I'm not mentally prepared! I haven't even had my first kiss!! And I know that's maybe a bit pathetic at my age but...I mean...is that such a crime?!..."_

Trembling violently, the full weight of reality finally crashing upon her shoulders, Hisana cradled her head in her hands.

"_What am I going to do? Why...why oh why don't I ever think about anything properly?! Bakabakabakabakabaka..."_

* * *

As the drama unfolded right before her eyes, Karin's smile gradually faded from her lips.

"_So…the thought had never even crossed her mind?...So then, all this time… everything she told me about that night...was for real? But then…so does that mean that...don't tell me…she said 'yes' to him simply because…she was...what?...caught up in the moment?!" _

Karin felt a cold shiver run down her spine. It was the chilling sensation that she may have stumbled upon what could very well be the awful, awful truth...

"_No..." _

She DEFINITELY did not want to go any further down that road. Because she had a feeling that at the end of it would be something way too horrifying to contemplate...

She was right. Hisana suddenly scraped herself off the floor and latched onto Karin's waist,

"Karin-chan!!" she wailed, "Y-you have to help me! You have to tell him for me that I can't! You have to tell Byakuya-sama that I– "

"What?! Are you insane? Why should I have to do that?!" Karin exclaimed, trying to pull away.

"Because you're my friend! We're friends right? Best friends! Doesn't that mean anything to you?! You have to save me!"

"One has nothing to do with the other! Don't drag me into this, I didn't tell you to be born an idiot!"

Karin was now desperately trying to clear a path towards the door but Hisana held on tight,

"Nooooooo!"

Just as Karin's finger tips were straining to reach the door handle, there was a knock.

She jerked her hand back. For a moment, both girls stared at each other and then whispered in a panic:

"...it's him...!"

"...it's him...!"

In hushed silence, they slowly turned their eyes back towards the door. Neither one of them even daring to breathe...

Fortunately for them, the voice on the other side belonged to someone else:

"Hisana-sama...I am sorry to disturb you but I would like to request Karin-san's assistance in finalizing tonight's cleaning duties..."

"A-ah! I'll be right there!" Karin hastily replied.

She waited to hear the retreating footsteps before sinking to the ground next to Hisana, both of them weak with relief.

As her hearbeat slowly returned to normal, Karin came to an important decision. She took Hisana's hand into hers and spoke quietly.

"Hisa-chan...I'll tell you this as a friend so please listen to me. I love you...but the truth is that you're naïve, impulsive, stubborn, simple-minded..."

"...hey!..."

"...you're always hogging the shower, you're a crybaby and you're addicted to sugar...but despite all your faults, Byakuya-sama...when he's with you, he's different...in a good way. So if there's anything you want to say to him...anything at all...I think you can tell him and he will listen to you"

"But..."

"Hisana, what I'm trying to say is that you have nothing to worry about...ok?"

Defeated by the gentle words of wisdom and the quiet assurance in her friend's eyes, Hisana finally nodded slowly in response.

* * *

Walking down the quiet hallway a few moments later, Karin wearily massaged her temples.

"_...this girl...I should have known. Somehow...I feel sorry for Byakuya-sama..."_


	13. Sweet Nothings

**A/N:** Hi! Yes, this story is still alive – it's just that the real world has been knocking on my door for a while. How do you like it so far? As you may have noticed, this is not the typical boy meets girl romance; our couple is already married but their feelings for each other are not crystal clear. Don't worry; this was done on purpose XD (I need it for the rest of the story). Hope you like this new chapter! Suggestions for improvement are always welcomed. The next chapter will be mostly from Bya's point of view. Pls look forward to it XD

* * *

SWEET NOTHINGS

By Ayame213

Later on that night, Hisana lay awake in bed buried deeply under the covers. Enclosed in the semi-darkness of her lavish and ridiculously spacious new room, she desperately tried to relax.

Needless to say; it wasn't working...

It was a few minutes after midnight when she finally lowered the covers–but only to just below her nose–and glanced furtively in the direction of the shoji screen door on the other side of the room.

It hadn't budged all night. In fact, she couldn't hear a sound. Was he really in the room next to hers? Would he really...uhm...you know...want to...?

Tiny beads of sweat began to form at the edge of her brow. Had she been a braver woman, she would have long since opened that door and taken at least a peak inside. But at the present age of 18, Hisana had already started to make peace with her cowardly nature...and so remained firmly planted in the temporary safety of her bed.

Time slowly crawled by and still nothing happened. Sleep finally took over.

* * *

Two hours later, she woke up with a start,

"P-PLEASE BE GENTLE WITH ME!"

Frantically clutching the sheets close to her chest, it took a few minutes for Hisana to realize that she was still alone. She let out a shaky laugh as her heartbeat slowly returned to normal.

"_I'm so silly. Byakuya-sama doesn't think of me like that...of course not...hahaha ...Karin is just a big baka..."_

She glanced one last time towards the other end of the room

"_...of course not..."_

* * *

Hisana's fragile belief was rigorously tested over the following two weeks. By day, she became the target of Karin's knowing smiles, probing glances and overall relentless teasing about _"that"_. By night, she would wait – eyes wide open, body as stiff as a board – in fear of hearing that sliding door creak open to reveal a large male shadow figure demanding her to perform her wifely duties like some scary Yakuza boss ready to collect his due.

Yet despite her overactive imagination and all her melodrama, Hisana could not help noticing that Byakuya's attitude towards her actually hadn't changed at all. At least not on the surface. She still did most of the talking whenever they were together. His eyes still remained gentle but utterly inscrutable whenever he looked at her. Come to think of it, his hand hadn't even so much as brushed against hers since the wedding ceremony...

So after weeks of constantly living on edge, Hisana sat up in bed one night and finally came back to her original conclusion:

"_He's not coming"_

Which was a good thing. Very good. Because if he did walk through that door, with the way she was now, Hisana knew she would just end up making a big fool out of herself – and then Byakuya would already start regretting the day he married her.

That was the last thing she wanted. He was the first genuinely nice person she had met since she came to Rukongai. He made her feel safe. She trusted him. He was strong and capable and...no matter the situation, he always appeared calm and in control. Strangely, that was one of the things that fascinated her the most about him. Maybe because when she met him, her life was already dangerously unraveling at the seams...? She couldn't quite explain it herself.

However, Hisana realized that if Byakuya meant all those things to her, the truth was that she didn't really know that much else about him. Especially the little things...like what was his favorite color?...his favorite food?...what did he think of her?...

Again, Hisana somehow found herself staring at the mystery door that had been giving her such vivid nightmares over the past few days.

"_...Byakuya-sama doesn't think of me that way..."_

She knew that all along. If anything from the way he treated her, she felt more like…a child (at best) or…a pet (at worst). In fact, the only explanation she had come up with as to why he had actually proposed to her in the first place was: a) he felt sorry for her, b) he was bored, c) he was _really_ bored.

Either way, that shoji screen door was going to remain firmly shut. She knew that all along. So why did she suddenly feel so…down?

Hisana sighed and switched on the light at the side of her bed. After a moment of hesitation, she put on her slippers, grabbed a shawl from out of the closet and wondered downstairs into the kitchen. As she opened the fridge in search of some milk, something far more interesting caught her eye.

"_Wowwww..."_

So it was finally here: the belated wedding present from Soul Society's most famous chef patissier, _Jean-Pierre_. This was his signature decadent chocolate cake with three types of chocolate poetically interwoven between four generous layers of exquisite, glorious, drizzling pure chocolate bliss. It was a work of art rumored to have taken close to sixteen hours to reach its present state of absolute perfection.

Hisana delicately extracted the top layer and placed it on a serving plate. With an attitude of pure reverence, she then helped herself to an enormous slice and settled onto a chair at the counter. However after just the first few bites, her mind began to wander back to her initial dilemma...

* * *

"Hisana..."

Deep in contemplation, Hisana had not noticed the figure in the doorway. She absentmindedly looked up at the sound of her name...just as her fork was directing a giant piece of cake towards her mouth.

Her eyes widened in horror when she saw who it was. Gasping and choking all at the same time, she quickly jumped out of her chair and desperately tried to conceal the evidence with her body.

"Byakuya-sama!...G-good evening! I was just..uhm...I...uhh...I was just having a little snack" she explained, her voice three octaves higher than normal.

"_Oh no, oh no, oh no! God, this is so embarrassing!"_

He approached her and she prayed that he would fail to notice the blush already creeping to her cheeks

"Is everything alright?...it is now past three o'clock in the morning..."

"Yes! I mean, yes...so it is. I'm sorry. I lost track of time. It's...I...the cake from Chef Jean-Pierre...wedding present...I was just having a little...w-would you like some?"

Not even waiting for a reply, Hisana quickly fetched a plate from the cupboard but before she could pick up the knife to cut him a slice, she suddenly stopped and stared in confusion at the serving plate on the counter...

"_Huh...?"_

There was nothing left to cut. In fact, Chef Jean-Pierre's chocolate masterpiece seemed to have somehow been replaced by a tragic wilderness of crumbs and tiny bits of icing.

"_...no way..."_

Hisana refused to believe it. Her eyes rapidly scoured the rest of the kitchen–nothing. She checked the cupboards. She re-opened the fridge. With shaky hands, she finally even lifted the empty serving plate to take a look underneath–nothing.

"_No way...the first layer alone was more than 20 cm in width and 6 cm in height...I couldn't have...did I?...I ate...the whole entire thing...?!"_

She couldn't believe it. This must be a new personal record. Hot waves of embarrassment and shame colored her features as she slowly turned around

"I...it seems that...well...I...I don't know what to say..."

But words were quite unnecessary at this point because some of the exact same thoughts were already echoing through Byakuya's mind:

"_So...she ate...more than 120cm2 of chocolate cake covered in chocolate frosting..."_

"_...for a woman probably no more than 40kg in weight and 1.60m in height... is that even humanly possible..?"_

"_...or is this some sort of...hidden ability?...like maybe...some ancient form of Kidou…?"_

Meanwhile, Hisana's eyes remained glued to the kitchen floor, wishing it could swallow her up. She was thankful when the excruciating silence was suddenly broken by the sound of a muffled cough.

Hisana looked up too see Byakuya leaning over the counter with one hand over his mouth

"Byakuya-sama...?" Hisana took a step closer, suddenly worried

"Byakuya-sama?" she asked again. The coughing became more pronounced. Hisana began to fret

"Ah! Are you alright?!...I'm so sorry, this is all my fault! Here...please drink this...Byakuya-sama..."

She had quickly circled to the other side and crouched down below his arm to hand him a glass of water. It was then that she glimpsed underneath his hand an unmistakable upward curve of the mouth...

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"You...you're laughing at me...aren't you?"

He didn't even try to deny it. Slightly irritated, Hisana stood back up in a huff

"...you know...that's really mean!...laughing like that at a poor innocent maiden..." she mumbled.

Unfortunately, that only seemed to make the muffled sound grow louder and more sincere...which only made Hisana more embarrassed and more annoyed with every passing second.

Just as she was trying to calculate how long she would live if she tried to kick him and then run away, he looked up at her...

Speechless, she could only stare back at him in return. It was the first time she had seen that kind of expression on his face. She had seen him smile a little (on rare occasions) but never like this. Nothing like this...his dark blue eyes were lit up with amusement…she even noticed a dimple in his left cheek.

Hisana felt an unexpected thumping in her chest.

The laughter finally subsided and he took a step closer to her. Almost too close. Looking down at her, he gently brushed away the stubborn lock of hair that constantly fell in her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"_...eh...?"_

Too stunned to react, Hisana stood perfectly still as he then tilted her chin and slowly ran his thumb across her lips.

"You still have some icing...here" he whispered

The thumping of Hisana's heart quickly developed into a dull roar of blood rushing to her ears...

* * *

Sadly, the moment was gone as suddenly as it came. Before she could begin to process what had just happened, Byakuya was already leaving.

"Do not stay up much longer" he called out over his shoulder. And then he was gone.

Hisana gratefully slumped back into her chair. Her head was spinning.

"_...what...what was that...?"_

She pressed her flaming cheek against the cool marble counter and closed her eyes.

"_...Byakuya-sama...I..."_

"I...I don't understand!!", the poor innocent maiden quietly wailed, thumping her fists on the counter in frustration.


	14. Of Pride and Japanese Pastries: Act I

OF PRIDE AND JAPANESE PASTRIES: ACT I

By Ayame213

Byakuya methodically worked his way through the large stacks of Gotei 13 surveillance reports that had been neatly divided across his desk. From his seat next to the open window, the warm sunshine rays of the late afternoon playfully reflected the light and danced on the antique mahogany wood.

Suddenly, the pen he is holding stops in the middle of writing a word as the sound of carefree laughter drifts up from the courtyard below.

Byakuya did not need to look up from his papers to know that part of the laughter belonged to Hisana, who was surely out there happily chatting away with a group of friends.

A small frown momentarily clouded his features.

"_...it is quite disturbing the way I can pick her out of a crowd like that..."_

It was also quite odd for him to be so easily distracted...but to be fair, on this particular day it seemed like the mere sound of her voice triggered memories he was already trying hard to repress.

"_Last night...if it were not for that look of complete confusion in her eyes...a little more and I probably would have..."_

He probably would have kissed her. Which was completely ridiculous because thiswas never supposed to be _that_ kind of arrangement...

Ok sure, he had asked Hisana to be his wife...but as far as he was concerned, the said request had only been made in light of several highly extenuating circumstances...

"_...she was leaving...and I was not ready to let her go"_

The way he saw it, Hisana was hopelessly naïve and stubborn and would certainly cause him a fair amount of unnecessary hassle with the Clan...yet at the same time he had been forced to admit that he actually preferred her company over that of any other woman he had come in contact with.

Besides, she also happened to be beautiful, soft spoken, intriguing...in fact, she possessed most of the qualities that had been so painstakingly researched in all his other potential bridal choices...so why not spend the rest of his life with someone he could actually tolerate?

The only problem was that now his simple desire for a halfway decent companion by his side was maybe showing signs of developing into something else. Something that had not been in his plans.

"_That girl...despite myself I was laughing so freely in her presence...when I (purposely) haven't so much as cracked a smile in almost fifteen years..." _

A weary sigh escaped his lips.

"_...there goes my image..." _

Now absentmindedly gazing out the window, Byakuya saw that his earlier assertion had been right: Hisana was indeed in the courtyard surrounded by Karin and Co., talking and giggling about God knows what...

Leaning back slightly against his chair, he allowed himself to observe her for a few moments longer.

"_Akira accused me of being in love with her..."_

He had completely dismissed the idea at the time. After all, Akira was not a very reliable source in that department. Mariko had him wrapped around her little finger and did not hesitate to call it "love". Ironically, Kuchiki Akira was a ruthless and brilliant strategist in every other aspect of his life but whenever it came to _his wife_...the man clearly lost his edge.

A shudder of pity ran down Byakuya's spine as he recalled that just earlier that morning, he had caught a glimpse of his esteemed uncle using some highly advanced ninja techniques only to smuggle what looked like a bottle of whisky and a small case of cigars into his own home...

"_...pathetic..."_

And even now after several minutes of deep internal scrutiny Byakuya realized that he just wasn't (and never could be) anything like that.

"_...no... I don't think that I could ever sink so low..."_

Thereby reassured, the proud Captain of the 6th Division was finally able to redirect his full attention back to the stacks of paper still on his desk.

"_...not a chance."_

Whatever happened last night with Hisana was just a momentary lapse in judgment. He was still in control and that was the most important thing. In fact, that was the only thing that really mattered – because after almost two decades spent ruling over the most powerful Clan in Soul Society, Byakuya knew all too well that any loss of control, no matter how small, would mean putting his fate into the hands of others...

...and what could be more dangerous than that?

* * *

Hisana hastily closed her room door and dashed down the hall.

"_I can't be late!"_

Byakuya had suddenly asked her to accompany him to a formal reception thrown by a potential business partner and she needed to hurry to meet him there on time.

Despite the rush however, Hisana felt her confidence rise as she caught a glimpse of herself in one of the hallway mirrors: for once her hair was behaving, she had on a fabulous new kimono, her make-up was done to perfection, the perfume she wore was light and refreshing...in short, the girl was in "lovely" over-drive and she knew it.

"_Ok! Tonight, I will definitely redeem myself!"_

Indeed, after the whole chocolate cake fiasco, Hisana was determined that tonight would be her golden chance to prove once and for all to her new husband that she really _was_ a cute, delicate young lady...and not an alien with extraordinary abilities to eat large amounts of sugary foods.

Though Byakuya had never mentioned the incident again, at mealtimes these past few days Hisana could almost swear she had caught him once or twice covertly staring at her plate...probably trying to calculate if her powers also applied to ordinary rice and fish or if they were solely restricted to all things chocolate.

"_...so mean..."_

White-hot feelings of embarrassment threatened to resurface but Hisana forced herself to take in a deep breath and rekindle the fire of determination in her eyes.

"_Focus...all I need to do is focus. Tonight there is nothing that will put a damper on my mojo! "_

She hopped into the fancy black carriage that was waiting for her at the front of the mansion and the driver quickly sped off to the appointed venue.

* * *

As they pulled into the driveway a few minutes later, Hisana was surprised to see Byakuya standing near the entrance of the house. As always, he looked perfect; the traditional Kuchiki formal attire he wore suited him flawlessly.

Hisana felt her pulse quicken as he helped her down from the carriage.

"_Lately...whenever he's close to me I..."_

She remembered the touch of his fingers against her lips that night in the kitchen...and now (right on cue) the heat quickly began rising to her cheeks.

"_No! Pull it together!" _she admonished herself._ "Remember that tonight you are a suave, sophisticated woman of the world"_

So Hisana anxiously searched for something to say that would sound witty and urbane, while Byakuya ushered her across the doorstep. Unfortunately, before she could come up with anything good, he glanced down at her and said the three killer words designed to wreak havoc on any woman's ears:

"You look...nice"

No sooner had the words come out his mouth that Hisana lost her balance and nearly fell face first on the marble floor.

Byakuya caught her just in time but the poor girl had already gone another shade of crimson;

"...oh...really...uhm...you think so?...I mean...th-thank you..." she mumbled in a daze.

"Are you alright?...if you are feeling unwell the driver can take you back home"

"Ah! No, really I'm fine! I mean...I'm fine thank you...I just...uhm...tripped...because of...the pull of gravity to-towards the earth..."

For a moment, Byakuya looked like he was considering sending her back home anyway (the blush still on her cheeks now looked suspiciously like a fever...) but in the end, he simply told her to be more careful and released her once he confirmed she was steady on her feet.

They walked the rest of the way towards the main reception hall in silence. Hisana could feel a dark cloud of depression slowly take shape above her head. Tonight was supposed to be her big chance to show off some of her good points and she blew it in less than 30 seconds of being in his presence...

"_Why is my life always like this?...now he thinks I'm a klutz...but...I...he shouldn't say things so suddenly!...it's not fair!...and after all my hard work..."_

A weary sigh escaped her lips.

"_He's never going to take me seriously"_

* * *

The reception was being held at the home of former death god-turned savvy politician, Matsukaze Jun.

Jun had become somewhat famous throughout Soul Society for having resigned his high-ranking position in the Special Corrections Unit in order to pursue a political career. The gamble surprisingly paid off when just a few years later he managed to successfully lobby his way onto a seat in the Office of the 46, Soul Society's all powerful ruling assembly.

The reception tonight was in honor of his impending retirement after more than 30 years of service. However, this event would by no means signal the end of his contacts within the Office. Byakuya had therefore accepted the invitation with the goal of creating a business opportunity; a successful alliance with this man would clearly go a long way in soothing the Kuchiki Elders' ongoing bitterness over losing the Miyamoto deal. He could only hope that this would also put an end to their incessant whining over his recent marriage...

In any case, Matsukaze Jun was also one of the most perverted men that Byakuya had ever met in his life. So hentai, that the baseness of his deeds even surpassed that of Kyouraku Taichou...and yet here he was now practically running towards them, arms wide open:

"Kuchiki-samaaaa!", a slim middle-aged man with a flamboyant shock of curly red hair called out in a loud voice.

He approached Byakuya – obviously with the intention of giving him a big warm hug – but one up close look at his face and Jun decided to settle instead for giving him a small pat on the shoulder.

"It's so wonderful to see you! So handsome, as usual! I'm so glad you decided to join us. I was afraid you wouldn't come after you declined all my previous invitations to go out and play...but no matter, I forgive you. Welcome! Welcome to my humble home"

Without missing a beat he then turned his attention to Hisana,

"Ooohh! And this must be your lovely new wife! I've heard so much about you...so cute! Just like a little doll! My, you do choose them well don't you? He he he..."

Jun reached out to playfully pinch her cheeks, but then suddenly felt Byakuya's death glare pierce through his back like a crooked dagger...so he decided to settle instead for giving her a vigorous handshake.

Fortunately, the man was ready to talk business almost immediately after introductions. That was the one good thing about him – he didn't beat around the bush.

"This will only take a few minutes..." Byakuya said to Hisana as he was about to leave.

"Okay...I'll just wait here", Hisana simply nodded and smiled up at him – she didn't really mind. Even if she did not know anyone else at the party, all the guests looked so glamorous that she was just happy to admire all the beautiful people.

After they left to speak in private, Hisana's gaze wandered slowly across the room and instantly became lost in the array of expensive kimonos and decadent jewelry that were shamelessly on display.

Suddenly, she felt someone approach her side. She turned and came face to face with a truly striking woman...tall, blond, with the most beautiful eyes Hisana had ever seen...up close she could tell they were colored an unusual shade of gray.

"_So pretty..."_

The woman smiled. "You must be Hisana..."

"Yes...have...have we met?", Hisana asked shyly.

The woman bowed gracefully and introduced herself:

"...Miyamoto Shizuka...pleased to meet you..."

* * *

**A/N:** Hello! Yaay, another chapter finally done! I've just made a slight name change: Byakuya's ex-fiancée (remember her?) Miyamoto Shizune is now called Shizu**ka**. I think it sounds nicer and now there's no more confusion with Naruto XD. Thank you for reading!


	15. Of Pride and Japanese Pastries: Act II

**A/N:** This chapter is in honor of Bya's return to the Bleach manga! I've missed him sooo much. All you bishie fans out there, please say it along with me: "Byakuya is love" Kyaaaa! XD

* * *

OF PRIDE AND JAPANESE PASTRIES: ACT II

By Ayame 213

- "Miyamoto Shizuka. Pleased to meet you"

Like a robot, Hisana mechanically reciprocated the bow...

- "I. Am also. Pleased. To meet you. Also."

...while increasingly panicked thoughts raced through her mind:

"_Okay...okay...I know I usually attract this sort of thing...I should be used to this by now but...but come on! What is with this bizarre situation?! What do I do? What should I say...this is so awkward!!" _

In contrast, Shizuka projected a sparkling image of calm and serenity.

- "I have heard so much about you" she said, "actually, I would have come to the mansion to pay my respects earlier...but I imagine that such an encounter would have been a little awkward"

- "Uh, no! No no...hahaha..." Hisana laughed nervously while unconsciously taking a step back

"_Ack! C-can she read my thoughts?! Maybe I should just make a run for it...but then...that might be a bit rude in the middle of a conversation...right?"_

She forced herself to calm down a bit and actually listen to the person speaking to her:

- "Is your husband here with you tonight?" Shizuka asked, a smile still on her lips.

- "Uhm...yes...he's speaking privately with Mastukaze-sama..."

- "I see...well, please let me offer you now my heart-felt congratulations..."

- "T-thank you..." she mumbled, still hesitating at Shizuka's seemingly casual tone of voice

"_She's not angry?...I'm not going to get slapped around...? Well...I guess I wouldn't get attacked in front of all these people...wheww...that's...that's good"_

However before Hisana could savor the sweet relief that came with this realization, a stab of remorse suddenly pierced her heart.

"_I'm so selfish. What if...what if Miyamoto-san was in love with Byakuya-sama? She would have every right to be angry with me...I was just so happy when he asked me to stay, that I never...I never even thought about her feelings...I...I want to apologize but...would that seem a bit...?"_

In the end, she decided to take the plunge,

- "Miyamoto-san...I...I just want you to know that I– " but Shizuka stopped her before she could go any further;

- "Please. I know what you are going to say. There is no need to apologize for anything. After all...I have fought enough battles to know when to recognize someone with superior skills"

"_...skills...?"_

- "What...do you mean?" Hisana ventured timidly

- "Byakuya-sama is one of the most eligible deathgods in Soul Society. He could have any woman he wants and yet he married you; an average looking commoner with no family, no connections, no physical strength...well, I'm sure you've heard this all before..."

Shizuka cast a nonchalant glance around the room.

- "It seems that he truly does have a soft side underneath that steely façade...he couldn't just abandon a poor girl so weak that he found her beaten up in the middle of the streets...but then again, don't you think that like this...he will someday begin to regret his choice?"

Her gaze slowly shifted back to Hisana. She smiled sadly when she noticed the expression on her face.

- "Ah. I'm sorry. I have upset you and that was not my intention...but I am sure that in time you'll still find that no matter how close you think you've gotten to him...he will always be that much farther out of your reach"

"_That's...not true is it?...I...Byakuya-sama has always been so nice to me...but then...it doesn't mean anything to him...?" _

At the other end of the reception hall, Jun and Byakuya had just immerged from their meeting and were instantly surrounded by a throng of admiring guests.

"_...but...I still..."_

Hisana bit her lip. She wanted to go to him...but at the same time, it suddenly felt like they were irrevocably separated by a sea of affluent people with their perfect hair, impeccable posture, gracious manners...everything that she was not.

So Hisana could only watch, frozen in place, as Shizuka quietly left her side and made her way through the crowd to where Byakuya was standing. It only lasted for a moment, but Hisana could not help noticing the confidence with which she spoke to him...or how close she stood next to him...or even the intimate manner in which she placed her hand on his arm.

"_They...really seem very suited for each other...so perfect..."_

She felt her stomach slowly twisting in knots as an unexpected tide of emotion welled up inside

"_What...am I doing here?"_

However before her insecurities could completely take over, Byakuya suddenly turned his attention from Shizuka and looked up in her direction. Their eyes met across the room.

And then the most unexpected thing happened;

"_...he's coming over..."_

It was just one look. One simple gesture. But for now it was enough to calm her fears and make her think that maybe...despite all her imperfections...he would still want her around.

She smiled and took a step towards him, when Jun's voice suddenly came booming through a microphone:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to thank you for your presence here tonight. In honor of my retirement I have prepared for you an exotic and very special treat. As you all know, I came from very humble beginnings. And on this very special night, I wanted to give you all a little taste of where I came from. So look around everyone...IT'S A DANGO PARTY!!"

Dozens of waiters with trays of steaming dango of all shapes, sizes, and flavors appeared from out of nowhere. Hisana felt the blood drain from her face when she saw that Byakuya had stopped dead in his track.

"_Oh no...Byakuya-sama!"_

* * *

**A/N:** Hello again! Please check out chapter 6 of this fanfiction where we first learned about Bya's dango-phobia (in case you missed it) but don't worry, I think Hisana's going to save him in the next chapter... XD


	16. Of Pride and Japanese Pastries: Act III

OF PRIDE AND JAPANESE PASTRIES: ACT III

By Ayame 213

Hisana felt the blood drain from her face as she saw Byakuya stop dead in his tracks. Even worse, she noticed that Jun had stepped off the stage, taken a tray from one of the waiters...and was now making a beeline for his unsuspecting victim.

"_This...this is bad!"_

Hisana quickened her step.

Faster.

By the end, the poor girl was practically running...

Thankfully, she arrived just in time to place herself between Byakuya and the offending tray of sweets that Jun was now proudly offering up.

- "Oh! It's Hisana-sama! Where did you come from?" he asked, blinking in surprise at her sudden entrance. "I hope you weren't too lonely? Here, have some dango!"

Hisana held up both hands to block the trajectory of the smooth caramel dumpling on the other end of the toothpick he was now playfully waving in front of her mouth.

- "Ah! No thank you. A-actually I...I'm not feeling so well...so..."

- "Oh...I'm sorry to hear that...I think we have a doctor here. Would you like to see him?" Jun immediately began scanning the room.

- "Uhm..it's okay...I-"

- "Oh, there he is! I'll be right back"

- "No, M-Matzukaze-sama I'm fine! Please wait!...waiiit..." Hisana trailed off miserably as Jun ran off and disappeared into the crowd.

Tears of frustration quickly formed at the corner of her eyelids and threatened to spill down her cheeks.

"_What do I do now?" _

She glanced up at Byakuya.

As expected, his features did not betray even the slightest hint of inner turmoil. Nevertheless Hisana somehow got the feeling that he was a bit _too _calm...almost as if he had retreated to a place deep inside himself and was now completely oblivious to the events surrounding him.

...could it be that underneath it all, he was desperately struggling to stay afloat but inevitably sinking deeper into a black vortex of silent agony and relived childhood trauma?!

"_I need to get him out of here. Fast. But how?"_

Her increasingly troubled thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Jun who returned with one of the guests following closely in tow.

- "Hisana-sama! This is Dr. Himura Kyoshiro, he will take a look at you right away"

- "Oh, no...it's ok...I...I don't want to trouble you..."

- "My dear lady, it is no trouble at all" Dr Himura smiled and bowed his head in respect.

- "Uhm..well..."

- "I really think you should" Jun peered down at her in concern, "...you look a bit pale"

- "I..really...it's not necessary...I think I just need some rest"

- "There is no need to be afraid" Dr. Himura smiled at her reassuringly

- "It's not that...I just..."

Hisana felt completely trapped. Her bogus "illness" routine had backfired spectacularly and now she couldn't seem to think of a good way out of it. Her heart sank further as she snuck another furtive glance at Byakuya:

He hadn't said a word from the start of this entire conversation.

...was it just her imagination or had his skin now taken on a slight tint of green...?!

Hisana looked back at Jun and Dr. Himura's encouraging smiles.

"_...what should I do?...what should I do...?"_

It was too much. In a fit of desperation, Hisana finally threw herself on Byakuya's arm, hugged it close to her chest and blurted out in a loud voice,

"PLEASE...I...I ONLY WANT TO GO HOME WITH BYAKUYA-SAMA!"

A stunned silence filled up the reception room. Time came to a stop as all eyes now focused towards a single direction.

Blushing crimson, Hisana could only bury her face deeper into the sleeves of Byakuya's shirt.

"_Why...everyone's looking at us! Did...did I say something wrong? Oh, no! At a time like this...when I'm under pressure I end up saying stupid things...but what did I say? Or was it my voice that was too loud?..."_

It seems like Dr Himura was the first to get over the initial shock. Smiling sheepishly, he exchanged a meaningful glance with Jun.

"Matsukaze-sama...I do not think you should retain them much longer than necessary...they _are_ newlyweds after all..."

Jun then suddenly came to the light of realization: "Of course. Of course! I am so ashamed. I mean...what was I thinking, keeping you hostage like this?! Can you ever forgive me? You should be enjoying each other, not being stuck here at a party with some stuffy ol' coots!...please...go on, go on...go home! Go on...shoo!...shoo!"

He promptly hustled them out to the front door, all the while lamenting and apologizing for his thoughtlessness. As the driver came around, Jun bowed and waved and bowed again as he left them alone of the front porch. He fervently promised to come and visit them at the mansion at a more suitable time to properly pay his respects.

* * *

The crisp evening breeze finally jolted Byakuya out of his dango-induced state of alternative consciousness.

The waves of nausea receded ever so slightly and the fog slowly began to clear from his mind. However just as he was trying to remember exactly how he had gotten outside, Byakuya noticed a slight weight on his arm. Looking down, he was somewhat puzzled to see Hisana firmly attached to it.

"_...if I didn't know any better...I would think she was trying to seduce me..."_

Right. In any case, he only had a very small window of opportunity before the nausea returned in full force. So in one smooth movement, Byakuya unhooked her from his arm, scooped her up like a child, and zoomed off back to the mansion faster than the speed of light, thanks to the wonders of Shunpo.

They arrived less than five minutes later, and he managed to maintain his composure until he got to his own room. However the minute he shut the door behind him, the façade quickly began to crumble:

He first had to take a moment to steady his body against the wall. Then like a Hebrew crossing the desert, he slowly began the long and difficult journey...to his bed.

As he lay there staring miserably at the ceiling, battling wave after wave of unrelenting queasiness, Byakuya wondered what in the world he had done to deserve such a ridiculous affliction.

"_...so uncool..."_

His only comfort right now was the certainty that he had at least done a masterful job in covering it all up. So the only thing left to do now was to lie really still until the image and the smell of dango completely faded from his memory.

* * *

Hisana bit her lip.

"_I'm worried...is he alright? Should I...? No, maybe I shouldn't...but what if...?"_

After several hours of such mental deliberations, she finally got up the courage to knock at his door. When there was no answer she took a deep breath and bravely let herself in. To her surprise, she found him coolly sitting on the edge of the bed.

- "Byakuya-sama...you looked a bit tired so I...I made you some tea...and some soup in case you still wanted something to eat"

- "I am not hungry"

- "Okay...well, I'll just leave this here...in...in case you change your mind"

Hisana carefully placed the tray she had brought on the night table and tried to think of something else to say. She had a feeling that if she didn't keep talking he would soon kick her out.

- "You know...I can keep you company for a while" she ventured timidly "...or I can just sit here quietly...I won't bother you..."

- "It is not necessary"

- "...okay...but then...I also brought some cold water in case you had a headache...at least...will you please use this, I think it might make you feel better so– "

She reached over wanting to place a damp washcloth on his forehead, but he waved her hand away with an irritated gesture.

- "I said it is not necessary"

Hisana's outstretched arms slowly fell back to her sides.

"_Oh...I should go, I'm only being a bother...he...he's not even looking at me..."_

"_...am I that useless to him...?"_

She lowered her eyes, unconsciously gripping the wet cloth in her hands. A few drops of water fell onto the floor.

"Please...let me help you" she whispered softly into the silence of the room

* * *

Byakuya finally glanced up at her. And at once, he knew.

"_...she is misunderstanding"_

He watched her turn away.

"_...she is definitely misunderstanding"_

On the one hand, he was now approaching his limit – he really needed to lie back down. On the other, he hated to appear this weak...even if she seemed to think that he was only suffering from a headache.

"_..."_

He blamed Shihouin Yoruichi and her black hole of a stomach for scarring him for life. He cursed Matsukaze Jun and his asinine party ideas. He knew he would hate himself for it later on, and yet...

"...what kind is it?" he found himself saying, in a very grudging tone of voice.

At first, Hisana looked back at him in confusion. Then she quickly perked up,

"...it's miso...miso soup...my grandmother always used to say that miso is great for the body, and that it promotes strength and long life...but then again, she said that about almost everything...hmmm...but if you don't like that then there also..."

As Hisana enthusiastically described the health benefits of all the other items on the tray, Byakuya sat back up in bed and allowed himself to at least lean back against the pillow.

"_...only for tonight"_

For the first time in a long time (and only due to highly extenuating circumstances) Byakuya decided he would lower his guard. Just a little.

Before long, the tension in his body that had been holding him up until now began to slip away. And soon, without even realizing it, he fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello again! My favourite Bleach couple is back with the last part of this mini-arc and I don't think they've lost any of their cuteness. More drama next time! And as always, comments, suggestions, pies in the face for being so slow in updating...all are welcomed XD


	17. The Abyss

THE ABYSS

By Ayame 213

Hisana felt a slight shiver of unease as she waved goodbye to Byakuya from the wrought iron gates of the Kuchiki mansion.

He had awaken that morning finally looking like his old self again...but then just a few hours ago he had suddenly told her that he was leaving with his squad for a special overnight mission.

"_Byakuya-sama...is he really okay?"_

"_...earlier...I overheard some of the girls saying that some hollows were attempting to breach the barrier seperating both worlds...? Is…is that where he's going now?" _

She hadn't dared ask him herself. And now watching at his figure retreat into the distance, Hisana fought back the sudden urge she had to run after him.

"_...no, I know he'll be fine. I once heard that Byakuya-sama was one of the most powerful death gods the Kuchiki Clan had ever known"_

"_...and besides, he said that he'll only be gone for one night..."_

"_...but these things...hollows...they're like monsters...right?"_

The soft blanket of darkness which slowly envelopped the skies above the Sereitei did nothing to ease her anxiety.

* * *

Later on that night, Hisana stood perfectly still in the middle of her room. It was all so eerily quiet...or maybe she was the one who had suddenly developped superhuman auditory powers? For some reason she could hear every little creak and sigh emanating from the wood panelled floor below her feet...

Then again, maybe that just was because she had suddenly come to the realization that for the first time in her entire four weeks of marriage to Kuchiki Byakuya...she would be sleeping alone in the main residence.

"_Alone. By myself. In a huge...gigantic...mansion" _

She nervously glanced over her shoulder

"_...well it's...it's not like I'm scared or anything..."_

A window slammed shut.

"AHHHHHHHH!!"

Hisana ran barefoot all the way down the hall, out the main building, down to the servants' quarters, and straight to Karin's room in sixty seconds flat. After much begging and pleading, she somehow managed to drag her friend back with her to the main residence to spend the night.

And so that is how a relieved Hisana now found herself preparing a futon on the floor, while a disgruntled Karin finished brushing her teeth in the bathroom...

It was only when she reached for another blanket in the cupboard that Hisana finally noticed the open window across from her bed.

"_...oh...that noise...it must have been the wind! I'm so silly..."_

A butterfly suddenly floated through and landed on top of her pillow. She took a step closer to admire its color but it quickly drifted back out. Slightly disappointed, Hisana softly closed the window behind it and finished getting ready for bed.

Outside, the solitary butterfly floated gracefully into the darkness. Circling into the garden below, it landed on the delicate leaf of an iris flower...only to suddenly burst into a cloud of pink dust.

At that very same moment, a voice whispered softly into the night

"Now...let us begin"

* * *

Hisana felt another shiver run down her back despite the heat of the blanket.

"_...I can't sleep..."_

The room felt so dark. She instinctively reached for the night light but then quickly changed her mind.

"_...hmm...Karin will yell at me"_

A tiny sweat drop formed at the back of her head. Yes – if there was one thing that girl _didn't_ joke about it was her beauty sleep. So on second thought, Hisana decided to attempt the journey to the bathroom in the dark. She could only hope that she wouldn't stump her toe – or worse yet – mistakenly step on her friend asleep on the floor...

She moved slowly, using her hands and the smooth surface of the walls to guide her. However the more she advanced, the more she felt herself being strangely pulled forward.

Her eyes progressively ajusted to the darkness and she was able to take a closer look at her hands. Beyond all reasonable logic, it seemed as if they were sliding deeper _into_ the wall.

"_...huh?"_

She slowly tilted her head upward and saw that the once concrete surface now seemed to undulate like the reflection of a clear pond.

"_Wh-what is this...?"_

"_I can't stop it...I...I can't pull myself out!"_

Panic gripped her heart. Her lips formed into a scream – but no sound was allowed to come out as part of the liquid surface suddenly detached itself from the rest and grabbed her by the throat.

Hisana's eyes could only widen in terror as the choking black fist slowly drew her in and soon completely engulfed her in its substance.

* * *

"_Where am I?" _

Millions of jagged little rocks scattered across the pavement. Each one of them cruelly ripped through the soles of her bare feet with every new step she took. Yet she did not pause, not even for a moment. She had to keep going.

"_...going where...?"_

She walked for what seemed like hours, until she stood before the gates of the city.

There were people on the other side. She tried to approach them, to ask for directions on how to get back home...but each new person she encountered only stared right through her with dull, vacant eyes.

She somehow found herself in the middle of a deserted alleyway.

An inexplicable sense of dread filled her heart. The air suddenly became a bit more difficult to breathe. She tried to turn back but it felt as if her body was frozen in place.

And then the image before her seemed to flicker like the screen of a defective TV.

"_...no..." _she whimpered

Children. There were dozens of crying infants. All of them...abandonned by the world...lying helpless in middle of that filthy street.

"_...no...I...I can't..."_ _  
_

There one right at her feet. Hisana carefully picked it up and pressed it gently against her cheek.

"_Rukia...don't cry...please...it'll be alright...I promise"_

Hisana held her close but she wouldn't stop.

"_...I'm here now...I came back so please...please stop crying!"_

Instead, the tears flowed all the more abundantly down those tiny little cheeks. They flowed down like a river until the smooth baby skin became increasingly dry and wrinkled. Right before her eyes, Hisana saw the little body in her arms shrivel up to the bone...until it finally turned to dust slipping through her fingers.

Hisana stared blankly at her trembling hands.

"_...what have I done...?"_

Grief. Loss. Despair. All too familiar feelings on the verge of erupting at the surface. However, more than anything else, it was the guilt which began to corrode at her insides...take over her mind...and fill her lungs to the brim.

Hisana screamed. Her cry echoed off the narrow confines of that lonely street.

There was no way out – all the secrets that had once been burried deep within her soul now conspired to pull her further down into the abyss.

* * *

The crackle of the wood in the fireplace gave off a warm glow, moderating the atmosphere of the otherwise austere room.

"My deepest apologies Byakuya-sama...I was on the rooftops scouting the perimeter as always...when I saw Hisana-sama leave the residence and make her way towards the gates. She appeared to be disoriented. I was about to intervene when I suddenly heard her cry out and then fall to the ground. After an examination of her pupils, I concluded that she had most likely suffered through an episode of sleepwalking. I took her back to her room. She was still unconscious. No one saw us...

I could not fanthom the exact contents of the dream but I was able to remove the most traumatizing elements. Unfortunately...there is a chance that she may still have some vague recollection in the morning...

Actually, Hisana-sama may have already been feeling uneasy, even before she went to sleep...Saejima Karin was apparently spending the night with her.

I did not detect any hostile reiatsu but I suspect high level kidou...most likely an ability similar to mine"

Byakuya stared impassively at the embers in the fire. When he finally spoke, it was in measured tones.

"Tighten your surveillance. You may even come in direct contact with her, if you must...but not for a moment should she leave your sight. Do you understand this, Akane?"

"Yes, Sir"

* * *

**A/N:** As I humbly wipe off bits of banana cream pie off my face...I just want to take a moment to thank you all for reading my story up until now. It's my first time writing something this long so I really appreciate all your encouragements to keep it going! For this chapter I wanted to try a different genre and see if I could make it work. Please let me know what you think! If it sucks, don't worry I'll be returning to good ol' romance and fluff in the next two or three chapters. C u next time!


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